Accept Me
by Soap Box Opera
Summary: [Victorian/1800 AU][Part 1 of Series] From a servant to a King's Guard, Tenten is the first woman accepted into the Royal Inner Circle at a crucial time. Despite the chaos of the world around her, she must prove her worth but discovers her ancient and powerful past conflicts with her allegiance to the King. However, Captain Neji doesn't plan on letting her go that easy. NejiTen
1. Prologue: Knighting Ceremony

Accept Me

Prologue: Knighting Ceremony

A heartbeat, a swallow and deep sigh escaped her lips as she stood proudly beside the Princess of Konohakagure but this time, she was no longer wearing her long black dress and white apron. Instead she proudly wore her leather armour while both her daggers rested in her scabbard by her hips.

This ceremony was held in the presence of the highest members of the militia. She was to be knighted as the first female in history to be welcomed into the Royal Inner Circle. This consisted of the most elite warriors in Konohakagure and the king's guard: Royal Inner Circle.

"And so we gather here for the first time in history…" King Hiashi's voice echoed through the courtroom. "I call forth Tenten to step forward and kneel to the congregation."

Her heartbeat quickened as she tightened her fists. Those words that were elegantly declared by the king beckoned her to approach his throne and kneel by his steps. The only thing that kept her fainting was Princess Hinata's small smile that manifested in her emotions of comfort and enthusiasm. After all, if it weren't for the princess's recommendation, the King would not have held such a prestige ceremony.

She was glad and couldn't imagine this ceremony being done without the princess. The dark blue haired woman bound in an elegant gown stepped in front of Tenten to address the crowd and prepare her knighting.

"The life of Tenten has proved that everything would be against her. From her first years of life she had been a slave – past down from household to household. This eventually led her under my service. As you have heard, her path would have only remained that of servitude. Yet despite the odds, we are here to honour her and raise her status of immeasurable importance.

"For, without her, I would not be here today to place the cape of the Inner Circle around her. She is the reason I am alive." From there, Princess Hinata nodded at the front row where Rock Lee and Kiba Akamaru stepped forward. Both men held onto one end of the heavy cape that was first worn by the very first king's guard Hamura Otsutsuki himself.

The two Royal Inner Circle members draped it onto Tenten's shoulder as they straightened it out on the stairs.

The audience observed the gold embroidered, silver laced and jewel incrusted design, which consisted of the Hyuuga and Outsuki clan symbols. It was now time for Hinata to continue on the procedure by accepting the sceptre from her younger sister Hanabi as she used it to tap both sides of Tenten's shoulder.

Once she finished, Hinata stepped back to give her father the space to command the attention once more. He pulled his ceremonial gold sword and asked in a loud booming voice, "Do you, Tenten, accept the duties of what it takes to be part of the King's Guard – The Royal Inner Circle?" Her head remained bowed as she felt the blade of the sword hover over one shoulder.

"I do."

"Then I, King Hyuuga Hiashi of Konohakagure, ordain Tenten to be honoured amongst the Royal Inner Circle as a fellow warriors. To hold in highest regards of the duties and title of the RIC Warriors." With a simple and sweeping move, King Hiashi tapped the blade on both of her shoulders before resting it on the pillow that Neji held onto.

When she raised her head she caught sight of the king's nephew, the captain of the militia, co-captain of the RIC Warriors and her new boss. She swallowed the ball in her throat as she waited for further instructions.

"You may now stand and address the congregation as we acknowledge your new title."

The adrenaline exploded from her heart and clouded her brain with pride; properly protecting her from her slight worries. Instead she allowed her heart to swell with joy as she stood to face the clapping audience. Despite her bursting happiness, she contained her smile.

After all, now that she was part of the Inner Circle, she ought to hold the dignity of what her new title carried.

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First instalment of the series – the second part has already been uploaded. I apologize for the mishap as I rearranged the chronology.


	2. Chapter One: Fate's Match

Chapter One: Fate's Match

The sun was shining brightly as it shared its space with the few thin clouds that dared to dance around the blue sky. Below was the heavy walled area where soldiers resided – a place that was formally forbidden for a woman to enter in.

This was obviously overruled now that Tenten would now be living there as well. "And welcome to the barracks." She could see the tall, immense and intimidating structure of the hard brick building. It was Lee – a fellow member of the Royal Inner Circle who volunteered to give her the tour.

The courtyard was infested with soldiers who were all training in physically exhausting regimes. All were equally focused on their exercise but once Tenten entered their vicinity, they all stopped to gawk at the first woman who had reached the rank of RIC. It was punishable by prison to gossip over any RIC Warriors or those of high status yet she could hear the murmurs once they believed she was a headshot away.

However, she chose to ignore them.

After all, what they were all saying were true. She _was_ Princess Hinata's maidservant, she _had_ been a slave from birth and she _is_ the first female to join RIC.

Lee pulled her out of her thoughts as he went on to explain what each building held. "As you can see, the courtyard is filled with all kinds of training equipment. Once exercise is over, the main building is where they house the beds. The left building to that is the cafeteria and the right is the armoury.

"These barracks are one of the most highly equipped stations and it even rivals that of the Kumogakure. Despite that being impressive, we are even more privileged! The Inner Circle dwell over there." He stretched his arm and pointed at the beautiful architecture that was decorated with pillars and flowers.

"I was wondering why we weren't headed that way." She pointed at the main building.

"This is where we stay." He told her as they approached the front doors. He opened it wide and stepped aside to welcome her in first. Lee's kind greeting made her bubble up with pride and joy.

"Welcome home." He grinned from ear to ear.

However, the euphoria that captivated her entrance was short-lived when a loud bark interrupted her thoughts. Quick heavy pads followed the roar like volume as the famous war dog Akamaru ran into view and leaped into her arms.

Immediately she fell back from the dog's welcome, which made her an easy target for the salvia filled kisses. Instinctively, Lee jumped into action and tried to yank Akamaru off of Tenten but to no avail. The 800-pound beast continued to act on his excitement.

"Hey Akamaru!" There was a shout from down the hall as the voice got louder. "Get off her now!" The tone in the beast master's voice reflected the seriousness of his tone, which matched his outer exterior that remained calm and stern.

Hearing the lowered and commanding voice, the dog knew that he should not waste time and did as his master had said. He retreated to the Kiba's side. Once Tenten's view was clear from the white fur, her face turned red as she realized him to be half naked. She couldn't ignore his very toned and muscular upper body.

"Sorry about that Tenten. Akamaru get's really excited when there's a new member around. After a few month's, he'll get over you." He winked as he reached for her and pulled her up with ease.

"Hey! Kiba." Lee shouted out in a flurry. "You can't walk around the house like that anymore!" Lee fumbled as he closed the door behind him so that no one from the outside could see. "A lady is now living with us!"

"Oh." Kiba examined his torso only accentuating his abs. "Right… Sorry about that." Kiba quickly said. "I better get going before anyone sees this and considers it a scandal. I wouldn't want to taint your image nor the image of our circle." He promised and walked out of view with the beast following closely behind.

"Sorry Tenten." Lee responded with a fluster. His embarrassment made it difficult for him to look her way and his hand that hung by his side reached to massage the back of his neck. "I guess we all need time to adjust to the presence of a woman."

His concerned and flushed face provoked a genuine smile from Tenten as she witnessed the other side of the supposedly "24 hour business only" group. "Well, shall we continue on with the tour?" His question came out meekly.

"Yes." She flashed a wide smile, the first unrestrained expression since the ceremony. A warm feeling flooded Lee as her smile washed away his early embarrassment. Instead he naturally mirrored her smile.

The tension from the unknown etiquettes surrounding a male and female interactions of these new co-workers eventually relaxed. Lee was the most glad out of this since he rarely communicated with the opposite gender.

"Here's the common area where we entertain the few guests that come by." It was the first room across the foyer. It was surprisingly simple compared to the other nobleman's houses she had seen. Yet despite its simplicity, it's faded white colour scheme and matched furniture suggested an artistic touch.

The king either commissioned a designer or someone within the household had a keen eye for interior decorating. The thought of these mighty, fearsome warriors rearranging furniture and commenting on design made her giggle. She settled with former thought.

Lee then stepped back into the hallway with his back facing the living room. "Opposite from the living space is our incredibly small kitchen and dining room." He pointed at the room to the left of the foyer. "It's really old and hardly touched so no one bothered to have it remodelled for 100 years aside from the new oven."

It was evident by its shape. Tenten had seen bathrooms larger than this kitchen. The cabinets were of waxed wood, that dominated the walls opposite to the entrance and spread to it's right. There was a small space for the new oven but across from it, a small table that only fit three people was crammed to the left wall.

"Honestly, we would have left it with the original stone fire if it wasn't for Choji's insisting."

"Choji?" Tenten asked. That name sounded incredibly familiar. "Wasn't he a chef for the king?"

"He _was._ " Lee confirmed. "But he felt compelled to support the troops. So now he's the head chef in the barracks." His smile widened. "Thank the gods otherwise us RIC would starve and not have a proper diet for our growing youthfulness!" He pumped his fist into the air. His unashamed display caused Tenten to take a slight step back at his zealous passion.

"The holidays are the best because he likes to celebrate with us and his meals during the holidays are to fight for!" He continued on in the same level of enthusiasm. "Anyways," He paused with a chuckle, knowing that he had gone a _bit_ too far. "The stairs right by the kitchen lead to the our bedrooms." He stepped out to point at the closest stairs then pointed to the stairs on the opposite side far down the hall.

"The other stairs lead to our basement. We have an underground training area and a chuck load of untouched weapons for your interests." He turned his head to glance at her. She couldn't help but be slightly touched, knowing that he knew she love weapons. "If you ever want to upgrade or customize the weapons, we have a blacksmith on ground. You can't really miss him. He's right beside the main armoury but in the case that you _do_ get lost, just ask around for Tetsu."

"And that small room on the other side of the foyer is Akumaru's space. We also store our main weapons in a cabinet there when we need to rush for a fight." He mentioned as he began to climb up the stairs to the second floor.

"How well do you know me exactly? And why?" She asked, still remembering his comment about her interest in weapons. He looked over his shoulder to stare at her.

"As much as we can gather…" He said, poking his pinkie in his ear to clear it out. "The RIC are responsible for knowing everything about each other. We are to be transparent to one another to build up trust." He blew the small flakes from his finger before he turned to grin at her. "After all, one day, we, in turn, will trust you with _our_ lives. Anyways once you have proven your loyalty and skills, we as a RIC group shall cast a vote whether we want to accept you or not."

"A vote?" Tenten's eyebrows rose as he intrigued her curiosity. She had believed that the voting was reserved for the king and a few elder officials.

"Yes." Lee nodded. "The king has total veto but he takes our votes into great consideration. Most of the time, he follows what the majority decide." Hearing this caused Tenten's heart to swell with joy. After all, she had believed that she would have to prove herself to RIC and fight for her position but knowing that they had all voted for her to be welcomed made her heart flutter. However Lee's next words deflated her relief.

"Well, it _doesn't have_ to be _everyone_ agreeing. Otherwise you might not have made it." Her mood drop compelled Lee to quickly add, "It was just one person who voted against you!" He found himself waving his hands in front of his. "I'm not sure who it is though! Although we tell everyone that we know everything about each other – it isn't the complete truth. I mean, think about it. _We_ hardly know each other."

And that was something she agreed with since she herself had knowledge of things even the King had not known. Like the fact that Princess Hinata's secret lover was none other than Naruto Uzumaki, the titled Demon Fox, co-leader of RIC and her other boss.

If Lee knew of the scandalous relationship – if anyone knew, Naruto would be sentenced to death despite his generated prestige and Princess Hinata would be held accountable either in exile or death.

Not only would those participants be punished, Tenten herself, would also be sentenced to death for not reporting it sooner. So she was _more_ than glad that no one in RIC knew of the affair. Especially Neji Hyuuga. He was indeed a man who carried and understood the depth of honour and status the most.

"And so, the rooms on this floor, in order, starting with the left wall would be mine then Kiba's. The room across from Kiba's is the bathroom and this room here" Lee tapped the right wall. "is Neji's. Speak of the devil." Lee's mention of his name appeared to have drawn Neji out of the bathroom.

Judging by his long damp hair that stuck to his skin and the fresh burst of aroma, it was clear that he had just finished a bath.

Much like Kiba, he also stepped out half naked with his upper body in full view except it glistened with beads of water. His usually tied hair flowed gently over his back and its dampness caused it to adhere closely to his skin. His relaxed expression, a sidet hat Tenten had never seen before, broke once their eyes locked onto each other.

In response, his face tensed and he frowned. He stepped back inside the bathroom without uttering a word. The unpleasant thump echoed in the empty hallway. All the malice that he had in his eyes seemed to answer Tenten's question over the one who _hadn't_ voted for her.

It wouldn't have surprised her if that were the case. He was always so critical of her when she was a maidservant of Hinata. "Don't worry about Neji, he may appear to be stone cold but underneath those cracks is undoubtedly a beating heart." Lee reassured with a smile.

They continued down the hallway towards the stairs at the end and when they had made it half way, she noticed that there was a sizeable gap between Neji's room and the bathroom. The space that preoccupied it was a small sitting room that overlooked the foyer.

The 3rd floor wasn't entirely different. There were three distinct doors, one on each wall. "The door to the very end is your very own bathroom! The rest of us figured that a lady like yourself wouldn't want to share such a vulnerable area with us men." He explained as he scratched the back of his head.

"The door on the left is Naruto's room and one across is yours." Lee said as he opened her door to reveal a very simple room. There was a bed, a writing desk, a small circular table, two seats, a closet and a bookshelf. The walls were white and the floors were wooden. There was a window across from the door with a sill low and wide enough to have a few cushions by it. The view faced the castle.

It was clear that no one occupied this room for a long time but it was spotless from dust. "Hopefully it's accommodating enough. We cleaned it up for you."

"Thank you Lee." She responded and was unable to take her eyes off of the white walls. To many, her room would be considered boring but it was hers. She walked in dazed and mindlessly placed her satchel on the table.

Her eyes wandered to inspect the details of the room and noticed a candle rested on its brass holder. It was oddly comforting to see that they still relied on fire rather than the new phenomenon introduced as electricity. As a matter of fact, she hadn't noticed anything electrical about the place since she entered.

"Alright, I'll leave you alone and let you settle in." Her focus remained on the surface of her very own desk but she could hear Lee's smile as he spoke.

"Just a reminder that dinner will be served in a few hours." He finished saying before he closed the door.

The silence invited Tenten to her own thoughts while she approached the windowsill. Although the cushions offered her a seat, she remained standing. Her eyes observed the castle that stood behind the purple and orange dusk sky. It was odd seeing it so far away and whole.

It was once her home but now this place was to be her home.

The thought made her explode with happiness as she grabbed a cushion to hug and squealed in pure excitement. Her feet bounced off the floor as she spun effortlessly into a dance with the pillow as her partner. With her outstretched arms and the pillow locked within her hands, she hummed a melody to guide them further into the dance.

Round and around, thinking of what her future could be and when she felt too dizzy to move, she fell on her bed with a dramatic sigh. She lay there breathless and unmoved. Her arms still cradled the cushion close to her chest as she stared at the _boring_ ceiling.

The castle ceilings always had paintings of clouds or chandlers. Now she had none. And this mattress… It was the softest thing she had laid her head in aside from the rare times she'd lay on Princess Hinata's bed.

Its daunting clean-cut rectangular shape and pure white sheets matched the bed found in the servant's quarters but felt nothing like it. She sat up and fell back again with a content smile and a pleasant sigh as she sunk into its sinking comfort.

She also realized that she didn't have to wake up 5:30am and wear the same thing again and again. It was an odd thing to not pack her maid uniform. She had worn one for as far back as she could remember. This led to her incredibly light packing: one dress, one book and a small pouch of coins that only amounted to 20 or so dollars.

When her initial excitement passed, she realized that she was homesick.

Her room was unnaturally quiet.

She could hear nothing.

No longer were there maid's chatter and gossip, nor the quick scatters of feet as all the servants rushed to clean and arrange pointless rooms in the castle.

She realized that she no longer had to keep her eyes on the princess from her rising to her rest. Her eyes closed as the fatigue she had gathered from the years of servitude and the most dramatic filled months finally caught hold of her.

Everything that should be was not and the silence pierced her ears and lulled her to dull memories as she recalled the past months that led her to this moment.

123

"You look beautiful." Tenten complimented Hinata as she stepped back to admire her handy work on the princess. Her blue hair was now elegantly done up and her corset was tighter than most days which looked well with her newest and puffiest crinoline.

Hinata _did_ look beautiful in her new gown. She was undoubtedly going to be the showstopper for tonight but the woman remained silent as she passively stared at her reflection. It was an expression unbecoming to her but the frequency of its presence had appearance past few weeks.

It worried Tenten. Not only was Hinata an employer, she was a friend. Tenten could not stop her own smile from faltering as she placed her hands on Hinata's thinned waist. "Cheer up princess. It's the yearly ball celebrating the Uchiha and Hyuuga relations."

"Which we have none. Honestly. It wasn't until recently that we are able to see eye to eye and it's _all_ thanks to Naruto-kun's efforts that we are on great terms with the Uchiha's." Tenten couldn't help but smile at how her friend affectionately addressed the Demon Fox – something she only did in the presence of Tenten and her lover.

"I know my father… This ball is far different than the others we have hosted. He wouldn't have invited all these much people nor keep a keen eye on design unless he planned on marrying me off to the Uchihas." That was something that Tenten could not decline.

Since the emergence of the friendliness of the Uchiha and Hyugga families, the countries would host a ball every year. The Hyuuga's hosted the first ball and the Uchiha's hosted the year that followed after in Kumogakure. The routine pattern of the yearly celebration was automatic to the servants who knew the usual procedures and plans.

Though this time was different.

The king had been very specific in terms of the colours, the band, the food and the way Hinata ought to dress tonight.

"Perhaps you are right…" Tenten acknowledged in a low voice. "But marrying Prince Sasuke wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. He's very handsome, a capable warrior and a wise military leader."

"Although he is wise, he will never persuade or rally a group of men like Naruto for he has more charisma. Although he is a prince that processes great looks, he will never be as charming, welcoming or sweet as Naruto. And he has never faced odds like Naruto who started off as a neglected orphan. Naruto is stronger, kinder and has a heart full of love and care that is deeply displayed by his unfailing courage and strength. _That_ is the quality of a proper king."

Tenten couldn't help but think that Hinata meant more to those words. Aside from the obvious resentment Hinata had against her father, she seemed to elevate Naruto as a better ruler. Her words would sting to her father if he heard such things. However, if her lover heard her speak such words, certainly he would melt. For her affectionate words were like honey: thick, sweet and desiring.

Knowing the deep bond between the two lovers sparked Tenten to envy and understand what it would be like to deeply love and to be loved. Suddenly, an image of a very handsome Neji invaded her thoughts but she knew that it was nothing more than an insignificant admiration.

It was nothing like the deep-rooted love Hinata felt for Naruto. So she had no bright words to say in order to cheer the girl up. Instead, all she could do was offer comfort by caressing Hinata's back.

"If it is for the peace of our kingdoms – the benefit of our countries. I shall marry him… but he will never take away my heart because it's already taken."

"Your words are passionate." Tenten commented and stepped back to fiddle with the loose strands of Hinata's hair. It was something that helped take her mind off the heartbreaking emotion of her beloved friend. "I pray, thee, that in another life. You and Naruto are happily together." It was all she could offer. She, along with the Princess, knew that the relationship between the two was doomed from the start.

Tenten admired the determination and inner strength that Hinata had. It was a strength that was often overlooked and, more often than not, mistaken for weakness and passivity.

"Tenten." Hinata said quietly but Tenten was able to catch her call from the past years of tuning her ear to her quiet friend. "Since tonight will be the end of my life. Why don't we fit you in an old dress of mine? I've always wanted to see you in a corset and a dress."

"Oh no, princess. I couldn't possibly." Instinctively she raised her hands to protest but Hinata stepped off the platform and insisted. Princess Hinata grabbed Tenten's hand and dragged her to a whole other room that was dedicated as her wardrobe.

"I have hundreds. No one will notice if you decide to wear _one_ dress that I've _worn once_. Besides, it will be fun." Her voice sounded muffled behind the puffy dresses. After scampering about, she pulled out a white dress with red lace accents. "I have found the dress!" She announced and walked out. "You will do this dress more justice than I could." With a wicked smile, Hinata pushed her friend on the pedestal and began to strip Tenten down.

"Wait princess… I wouldn't want to soil your dress…"

"My dress? Consider it yours." Hinata insisted. "I would be happier knowing that it will be placed to good use rather than it collecting dust in my wardrobe. Now, if you fail to comply, I'm afraid I will have to _command_ it."

"If you insist…" Tenten surrendered.

Initially Tenten had opposed but as the minutes dragged on, she could no longer contain her excitement. For the next few hours, she could actually experience what it would be like as a noble. She'd be pampered and adorned with beautiful silks imported from different countries and designed by the most elite artists.

As Tenten allowed Hinata to assemble the pieces, Hinata started a conversation.

"He's bringing his best friend as his plus one."

"Ah," Tenten figured she was talking about Naruto. She only ever talked about him in front of her. "This plus one… Did he mention the gender?"

"Gender?" Hinata laughed it off as she began to string the corset. "If you're brining someone as your plus one, the gender is self evident." She frowned. "You know… I had always assumed that the best friend he had spoken of was a male. I'm a little jealous."

Her emotions were palpable and reasonable. Unlike Naruto's ability to bring his best friend, he could not bring his lover as his plus one.

"If it were possible, Naruto would take you as his partner and gladly boast it to the world." Tenten reassured.

"Thanks Tenten."

"You're welcome." Her words sounded dry and deprived from oxygen, as the corset got tighter.

"You're going to have to suck it in." Tenten did what Hinata instructed. With each passing loop, Tenten's respect for Hinata doubled. Tenten groaned throughout the whole ordeal while Hinata never once laid a complaint when Tenten had done it. "This will be the first time I'm officially meeting her and I'm quite nervous." Hinata mentioned. "They've known each other for a long time and consider each other as siblings… What if she doesn't approve of me?"

"Oh Hinata…" Tenten said in a dry and weary tone from another pull of the corset. "Only a fool would disapprove of you."

"There you are, you look beautiful." Hinata said softly and stepped from behind Tenten to observe her work. Tenten was in shock. She _did_ feel beautiful… and elegant. Those were two words that she'd never use to describe herself. "Now it's time for the rest!" Hinata giggled as she grabbed the crinoline and wrapped it around Tenten's waist.

After applying the rest of the garments, Tenten managed to step off the platform without stumbling. "How do you even walk around with this thing? You have to be cautious of bumping into so much people…" She swirled before stopping in front of the mirror. "Well, that settles the dress. It look's like we're done here."

"Not so fast! It's time for makeup and hair." With an excited giggle, Hinata grabbed Tenten's hand and sat her down in front of her large vanity. Tenten never had make-up on before and was a little worried that Hinata wouldn't know how to apply it either.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" The brunette asked with genuine curiosity. All her life, Hinata had others do it for her.

"Yup. Hanabi and I like to play dress up from time to time. So, it should be all right… Now breathe, relax and trust me." It was an odd thing for Hinata to say, something that later proved to be true. Not just within the confines of their friendship but also within the shark invested political power play.

Tenten admitted that she was nervous. The brush probing her eyes, lips and cheeks were foreign to her skin but she was glad that it distracted Hinata for the inevitable marriage. Once she felt the brushes no longer, Tenten began to open her eyes but was instantly scolded by Hinata.

"Not yet!" Hinata said. "I still have to fix your hair." After more pulling, pinning and twisting the strands, Hinata finally told her to "Open your eyes and look."

Tenten's mouth gaped open at the person she stared at. From a lowly maidservant, she now looked like a person of class and honour. She leaned in closer to inspect the artwork then turned to Hinata with wide eyes. "You're better at this than me!" Tenten spouted, still intrigued by the image in front of her.

Hinata giggled behind her hand and shrugged. "I've kept you around for this long so you're not that bad." She teased.

"It's a good thing you're naturally beautiful or else you'd have to face the consequences of my less than perfect makeup skills."

"Oh Tenten." Hinata smiled and wrapped her hands around her friend. "Chin up. That's not the only reason you're hired. You're valued… Now stand up, we've got a ball to attend!" With that, the two giggling girls left the room.

123

They hadn't yet neared the ballroom but they could already hear the classical music pour into the hallway. It was accompanied by the buzz of excited conversation happening between people.

Tenten stayed back a few steps from Hinata as she always had to show that her status was far from hers even when she pretended to be a noble tonight. Despite this, people noticed her and would acknowledge her presence with a smile, which was the complete opposite of how she was normally treated: invisible.

For once she was now an attendee rather than the attendant.

When they neared the entry of the ballroom, Tenten stopped to give the princess some space. The two ushers, who waited, straightened their back in the presence of Hinata and opened the double doors for her. She was late as tradition. That way all the gathered guests could acknowledge her.

The music paused and the conversations were interrupted by a trumpet blast that announced the arrival of royalty. "Princess Hinata Hyuuga of Konohagakure." The herald's voice echoed loudly as Hinata walked down the stairs.

It was completely silent.

Even when she reached the bottom of the stairs, all the eyes were locked on her. She stepped into her father's presence who had been there waiting for her arrival. He gathered his daughter's hands and together they walked through the crowd that had parted for the pair. With a single raised hand, the musicians knew it was time to continue their song and soon the conversations of the room lifted into the air once again.

Tenten paced by the entryway. By then she'd already be in the kitchen to assist for the night but she wondered what she ought to do.

"I see that you've decided to join us." A voice caught her attention from behind and she looked over her shoulder to see Neji Hyuuga. A man that she greatly admired and the only member of the Royal Inner Circle that she had difficulty addressing and conversing.

He continued his steps forward and stopped once he was beside her. From there she could see the shadow of his strong jawline and his pearl eyes that distinguished the Hyuuga's from the rest. It was rumoured to possess the power to see through solid objects, and it freaked her out.

For now she hadn't needed to worry yet since his eyes remained on the entrance of the ballroom. "Did you steal that dress from the princess?" He asked and turned his head to look at her.

"S-she had gifted it to me… and it would be near impossible to hide an outrageously puffy and decorated dress." She daringly stared back despite her insides churning uncomfortably at being in the presence of the RIC co-captain and captain of the militia.

His pearls eyes pierced hers and she fought against the instinct to look away out of pride. She didn't want to loose the battle that their eyes fought. He frowned and looked back at the entrance.

"You may wear a dress but it's simply a cover up of what you really are: a slave. Good luck getting inside." He scoffed and stepped forward until Tenten, being so caught up in a wave of emotion and anger, grabbed his wrist. It was only after her action did she realize she could be sent to jail. She retreated her hand immediately and winced at the expected scolding.

The much taller and bigger man turned around slowly.

He was pissed. That was certain.

For the first time, Tenten cowered with fear but she bit her tongue from apologizing. "I'd like to have you know that it was not out of pity that the king hired me nor is it the pity of the princess that has kept me. I may have been born a servant but I assure you I am far more than that." She found her tongue moving on it's own as she bit back. Though her words were sharp, her eyes were glued to the floor.

"Besides Hyuuga." Her eyes shot up to glare at him. "For someone so concerned about image and status. It's quite hypocritical for you to say considering that you had tried to kill the prin-"

His wide hand covered her mouth while his other grabbed her wrist. She was locked under his strength and her legs complied as he pushed her towards the wall. It was in the shadows behind the pillar as to not cause any more attention. Indeed many were alarmed but Neji was inhumanly quick. He slammed his fist against the wall beside her head.

"Who told you that?" He sneered, leaning into her – their faces just a few inches away from each other. Fear and uncertainty streamed through her lungs but her fiery eyes continued to stare him down.

"I know things you don't know. You don't know much about me. I know that the king covered this scandal up by promoting you to be a captain in the militia."

He was agitated and she was certain that she had just crossed a line she shouldn't have. He had always been calm and collected but for once, she saw the devilish side of him. The few seconds of raised tension and unspoken threats seemed to last hours as Tenten tried hard not break sweat from the intensity of it all.

"Is everything all right?" There was a familiar voice that was heard by both Tenten and Neji's. They looked up and realized that it was Iruka Umino. He looked concerned as he quickened his pace to approach his former students.

Neji backed off, bowed and escaped into the ball.

Even from the distance, Tenten could hear the announcers voice spill into the hallway as he introduced Neji Hyuuga – Duke, Captain and RIC Warrior. All of these were notable titles with high status. She knew, however, that if Naruto hadn't stopped him that day, received forgiveness from Hinata or if the guilt of King Hiashi hadn't affected his judgement, Neji wouldn't be there with so much. He would be in exiled or worst, in the ground, buried and dead.

As soon as the music started to play, all the tension that locked Tenten's bones had melted along with her confidence. A weakness washed over her that put a spell on her legs. She felt herself topple over but Iruka jogged to her side and caught her.

"How are you dear?" He asked and wrapped a hand around her waist to help her up. "I'm uncertain whether I should have witnessed such a thing."

"Oh it was a good thing." She reassured him, thankful that she was able to lean on him. Growing up, Tenten had been one to lack a certain type of education that Iruka graciously offered her for free – despite him being reserved for the highest class such as Princess Hinata and Duke Neji. If it was anyone else, she was certain that it would not have ended as well as this. "Thank you teacher."

"It was no problem. Though I'm surprised that a scene like that did not occur earlier considering that both of you are equally stubborn and have opposite social views." Tenten shook her head in disapproval as she thought of how much she had admired the handsome boy – a pretty face soiled by a poor attitude.

But with her history of serving under nobles, she wasn't sure why she had expecedt anything more from Neji. All Tenten could do was respond with a sigh.

"I should go." She looked back at the endless hallway that seemed to vanish out of sight.

"Why?" Iruka sounded genuinely upset. "It would be such a waste for the others not to see you!" Her eyes watered at the fatherly affection she had missed so very much. Seeing this, Iruka pulled out a handkerchief from his inner pocket and handed it to her. "You wouldn't want your makeup running." He smiled.

She graciously accepted and dabbed the corners of her eyes to catch the tears before they ran down her cheeks.

"Neji is right…" She managed to say behind a croaky and clogged throat. "This dress is simply a cover-up... I'd never get past the announcer anyways. It was a sweet yet short-lived experience that I'll treasure instead."

"Dry your tears girl… or should I say lady? You've grown up so beautifully, this would be such a wasted opportunity… getting inside is no problem if you'd be willing to be my plus one." Her eyes lit up.

"Are you here to play a joke on me?"

"A joke? No, not at all! You ought to pass through this certain rite. I find it more poetic than a joke. Now as I said, dry your tears and let us go."

Many loved this man. Naruto was a prime example of it. There was something in the way he lived, something in his character that made anyone feel safe, treasured and valued. She was so thankful that she had to fight back another wave of tears that sprouted from happiness.

"Thank you sensei!" She sniffled into her handkerchief.

"Now, now." He caressed her back.

Once she was composed, she accepted the arm that he offered and followed him into the ballroom.

The two doors opened, the herald announced the entrance of Iruka and his plus one and the two walked down the impracticallt long staircase. Every second of it, every heartbeat of it was as magical as she had envisioned it – possibly even more.

Although the music hadn't stopped, or the trumpeter didn't play or the crowd didn't look their way, she still felt a spark of electricity go through her. With her hand over Iruka's arm, he guided her through the crowd. He clearly had more experience with the way he was bale to traverse through the mass without panicking.

Eventually they neared a familiar blonde who was accompanied by a beautiful paled skinned woman with odd pink hair and emerald eyes. If this was the woman that Hinata worried over, she now understood why.

The two were extremely close, so close that she could publically and shamelessly scold him in the presence of others without damaging the core of their relationship. They were so friendly and forward that most could mistakenly assume them to be married but Tenten knew far better than to doubt the love of the princess and the warrior.

"Naruto, Sakura, Sai." Iruka called out to his former students. The blonde and pinkette were so bright and colourful that she had missed the third person within their friendly circle: an odd black-haired and ill paled man.

"It's Arthur around here." Sai corrected. Immediately, that name gave Tenten a train of memories as she realized who he was: the most revered artist in Konohagakure. She even had the privilege of watching over some of the sessions when he painted the portraits of the royal family.

She didn't recognize his face because he was always behind large canvases. Although that is what he addressed himself as, she also remembered him to be the shadow of the Royal Inner Circle – the second known member to leave.

"Ah, sorry Arty." Iruka pulled back from his hug with Naruto and greeted Sakura with a peck on both cheeks. His hands darted to the back of his head and Sai slightly frowned upon seeing Tenten.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm no one important so your identity is safe with me." She reassured him but it did nothing to appease his disapproval.

"Hey, don't sell yourself short. You're important. I think we all know that here." Naruto winked at her. She _did_ sneak Hinata out and Naruto in whenever they wanted. Tenten let out a nervous giggle before relaxing amongst his friends. "Oh, I don't want to be rude. Where are my manners?" Naruto readjusted. "This is Sakura Haruno."

"Pleasure to meet you." Both females exchanged a courtesy.

"Correct me if I'm wrong." Tenten interrupted before Naruto could introduce Sai. "But are you the Glassed Flower? The Haruno heir?" The three friends all shared a knowing glance until Sakura spoke up.

"I don't want to be so forward with you nor add to your lists of secrets to keep but I would appreciate it if you keep silent over the matter. My identity so far is Naruto's plus one."

"Ah, yes. Don't worry. I'm known to keep secrets." Tenten gave Naruto a brief look. An epiphany rose: Naruto's closest friends had secret identities. Even herself. She hid her status as a servant and impersonated a noble.

"Oh and thank you for that." Sakura smiled. "I know how life threatening it can be to keep a scandal this large a secret." Tenten narrowed her eyes at Naruto who shrugged. She then looked at Sai's lack of expression and Iruka's crooked smile.

"Wait. So you all know about it?!"

"Well yeah." Naruto said plainly. "Iruka's my dad, Sakura my best friend and Sai…. he's like my distant loyal brother."

"Ah thanks for that." Sai murmured.

"Iruka-sensei? You approve of this?" Tenten whispered in fear that someone would hear them even though she knew it was impossible with all the music and conversations all around. With the collective chorus of noise, there conversation was merely a note – significant in creating the collected sound but insignificant in its appearance.

"Approve? Believe me when I tell you I'm more surprised over my acceptance than their illicit affair. But I will tell you this as I have said to both participants. Is it wise?"

"No, not at all." Sai and Iruka both said in unison.

"Love goes beyond reason!" Sakura winked at the boys. Her tease drew out laughter from the group except for Sai who only scowled at his friend's foolish ideals.

"Ah!" Iruka said, catching their attention. "Apologizes, for I must be excused. I haven't seen Kakashi in a long time and I'd like to reacquaint myself with my dear old friend." He gently lifted Tenten's hand off his arm. "I'll see you around and please take care of her." He told the three and reassured Tenten with one last smile before he squeezed through the crowd to reach the masked man.

The name Kakashi sounded dreadfully familiar. After a second longer, she realized that he was a citizen of Kumogakure. Much like Iruka, he was also a teacher but different in a way that he taught the Uchiha princes less about philosophy and art and more about political and military history.

Just by poking her head up, she could see his gray hair swoop to the side and his signature mask that covered his face – a face that many wished to see. Even Sai who was commissioned to paint him was forced to paint him with his mask on. It was rumoured to be one of the seven mysteries in Kumogakure.

"Oh wow, Kakashi-sensei. It's been so long since I've seen him as well." Sakura commented. "How is he doing?" She turned to Naruto who shrugged.

"He's doing fine. There's not much to be done once the Uchiha princes have grown up. He's thinking of retiring off as a military councillor or retiring for good - and speaking of Uchiha, here's one coming towards us now." Tenten froze in place at the announcement of royalty.

She had never been as close in proximity to any other royalty aside from Hinata. She worried that the prince would easily see through her act.

"Greetings." She heard a cooling voice behind her. He was near and her paranoid brain swore that it felt his breath tickle her neck. She stepped aside – almost out of the circle from sheer instinct and routine until Naruto grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the circle.

"Prince and Princess." The non-royal's bowed their heads in response to their presence. Tenten bowed lower than the rest.

"Please, raise your heads." Hinata ordered gently and when they did, Tenten was blinded by the amount of 'royal aura' that oozed out of them. In her eyes, they were so bright, so beautiful and so _rich_ that she could only respect them their calm demeanour.

She felt so out of place.

Even with the dress.

Even though she knew the princess personally.

She was nothing compared to royalty.

She was nothing compared to the Demon Fox Warrior, the intelligent Glassed Flower Heir to the biggest trading corporation or to 'Arthur' (Sai) who was a famous and desired artist, and former ex-RIC warrior.

She held no similar title.

She was simply a maidservant for the Princess.

"How are you finding the event so far?" Hinata focused on Sakura, knowing that it was the girl's first time.

"It's fantastic. It's beyond words. It is something that I've heard of but now that it is really here in front of me, it is far better than my imagination or the praise that have escaped notable lips." She spoke with confidence, as both their gazes remained steady.

At this, Tenten was in complete awe with how quickly Sakura's friendly (considered unruly) behaviour had quickly changed into proper etiquette form.

"Well, I must admit with all honesty." Hinata responded. "This ball is the best in comparison to the rest. Father has really outdone himself."

"Perhaps he could be implying a marriage between the two of you?" It was Sai who steered the conversation into uncomfortable waters but a reality that was bound to happen either way.

Perhaps it was best for Sai to address the situation in the midst of good friends rather than strangers since all their faces winced at the thought. It was clear that something was going on – something between the people, even if a stranger did not know their secrets, the odd change in atmosphere was enough to draw suspicion.

"That is a possibility." Sasuke was the first to respond and glanced at Sai. "There are many duties and traditions that royal's go through but it isn't uncommon for tradition to be broken. After all, I'd like to experience what it is to marry someone I love rather than marrying them and learning how to love them later." He explained while his eyes locked on Sakura's the whole time. The poor girl's cheek was soon going to turn a shade darker than her own hair.

Even Hinata and Naruto had their own longing gaze towards each other.

"But, Hinata and I have both concluded that the interests of the country outweighs our own feelings for that is our duty. We have both agreed that marrying each other would be a blessing compared to the many other royals out there who are far older or younger than us, or simply, not compatible." They all nodded in agreement including Tenten, as she recalled the meetings with the other candidates.

"I've only known a few cases where people of royalty married for love." Hinata commented, glancing at Sasuke then Naruto. "However, often times, it has only been done when the Kingdom is at rest and is prosperous. Also, the one to break tradition is the prince so perhaps you still have your chance." She smiled softly at Sasuke but her eyes were riddled with pain.

"Well, I guess that's why there are so many records of mistresses and paramours. It's almost socially acceptable and expected." Sai injected bluntly. "Often, those choices lead to disasters." Again, the mood dropped but surprisingly, Naruto remained composed.

"There isn't any other male in the world I'd trust Hinata with." He said with a smile but since the group of people were the closest to him, it wasn't hard to see the sorrow behind those eyes. "I would toast to you both and give you my blessing." Upon that last word, Hinata immediately looked away and bit her lip to stop her wet eyes from leaking.

A panic set in as Tenten tried to figure out a way to cheer up her friend without alarming anyone.

"Perhaps we can dance?" She blurted out and once it escaped her lips, she had the strongest desire to smack herself on the head.

"I second that notion." Sakura said, also worried for Hinata.

"Routin's Elinor would be a good one to dance to." Sasuke suggested.

Tenten knew that this was a song famous for constantly switching partners… at least 75% of this song was spent dancing with someone else rather than the person you were with.

"If we were to." Hinata said. "It would be my most treasured memory for the evening but I must ask, are you up for it Naruto?" It was the first time Tenten had heard Hinata address Naruto that way in public. They often avoided and ignored each other in public to avoid the arousal of _any_ suspicion.

"I will admit." Naruto spoke, locking eyes with her. "It would also be my most treasured memory of the evening…"

"Then shall we?" She beamed and glanced at Sasuke to make the announcement.

So with a single hand, the conversation around them died out in a slow wave, as the Prince of Kumogakure captivated their attention. This was such a small display of his power that it intimidated _and_ impressed Tenten in one.

"I propose that we partake in a dance to Routin's Elinor." There were quick giggles as the conversation burst into life once more. A space broke out in the center of the ballroom to give space to the dancers.

One line consisted of males and the line across consisted of females.

Tenten wasn't sure where to go considering that Sai retreated into the audience. She figured that without a partner she wouldn't be able to join the occasion.

She sighed.

She liked dancing.

"Girls like to dance right?" A voice said, as if answering her unspoken prayer. The pineapple shaped hairstyle immediately pointed to Shikamaru Nara: an ambassador of Konoha who was stationed at Sunagakure.

"Yes." She responded quickly.

"Good then let's dance." He grabbed her by the hand and guided her into the line beside the Princess of Sungakure: Temari. The partner across was unfortunately… Neji.

When he noticed her, he didn't even flinch, rather he kept his stance and attention directed to Temari. While her gaze was also locked on Neji's, she couldn't help but mirror Shikamaru's smirk.

"Could it possibly be?" Tenten thought, looking at Shikamaru. There had been rumours and gossips that the ambassador had left his pregnant wife for the sake of his duty… or a mistress.

She shook that thought out of her head and tried to avoid going deeper into the mess of _other_ royal's and their affairs. She had enough of that already and she witnessed it right before her eyes with Sakura, Hinata and across from them, Naruto and Sasuke.

After clattered sounds of feet and movement, the two groups were now distinguished: those who were going to dance and those who chose to watch.

Tenten looked at Shikamaru who stared back as they both prepared themselves mentally and physically for the music to start. There was a unity of strings that began playing as the musicians tuned their instruments. Once their notes were alike, the conductor counted them into the first few notes.

Her steps forward towards her partner were paced and even. She had quite the experience in dance considering her long service under Hinata's side. This meant a lot of etiquette and dance classes.

Unlike all the other classes that Hinata was able to naturally learn immediately, dance required a little more practice. Which often lead to long sessions with Tenten as her dance partner.

It was something that _she_ was good at.

In the moment of the dance, she locked eyes with Shikamaru until her partner led her into the hands of Neji while Shikamaru accepted Temari from Neji. She found herself fumble as the magical moment was crushed by her tainted hero.

She wanted to scowl and sulk but she knew better than to let her emotions get ahead of her so she kept her dance. At first she expected mockery but instead, he led her gently and with no harmful intent.

His broad shoulders overpowered her width as it reached her eyelevel. It poured into his image of strength and his ability to protect, despite his harassment earlier. His longer hands easily clasped around hers so she wouldn't spin away too far.

When their fingers just slipped from one another, Neji easily pulled her back into his firm chest before placing both hands on her waist. Her cheeks reddened as she kept her gaze downwards and easily, he lifted her up, guided her carefully on her feet then surrendered her to Shikamaru.

Once she was back into her original partner's arms, she couldn't help but feel like something was missing. Her world dulled, the music seemed to quieten and her held breath finally escaped her. Shikamaru glanced at her in slight concern but she responded with a gentle smile that said she was fine.

She tried to imagine the same moment with Shikamaru but it wasn't the same. She didn't know if it was because of his height or lack of firmness or his plain appearance. She couldn't quite figure it out and it bothered her more than she'd like to admit.

But before she could collect her thoughts, she was back into Neji's arms and her world suddenly started to make sense. Their footsteps matched with the rhythm beyond the music but with the universe.

She was surprised when the song neared the end and its slowing remark signalled the partners that they had to switch again. So she was, back with Shikamaru when the song ended.

They were all in the places they needed to be.

Back where they first started.

The crowd clapped for the musicians and dancers while those who participated thanked each other. The women all curtsied, the men bowed then they both stepped towards each other and joined again, arm in arm.

Once Tenten linked her hand around Shikamaru's arm, he escorted her to the side and left her.

"Thanks." Shikamaru said before escaping into the crowd.

"I should've said thanks." Tenten whispered, staring at her hand that tingled from Neji's touch. Her cheeks reddened at the thought and she shook her thoughts away and buried them beneath his crappy attitude.

Aside from that, she was glad that her first dance in front of such an esteemed crowd went well.

She stood there alone and extremely thankful for the night. Once the attendees found their cliques, she figured that she'd be content by the wall. She could see her previous group come together and Hinata's wandering eyes that hovered over the crowd in search for her.

When their eyes met, Hinata beckoned her forth but Tenten declined. She shook her head. They were too far from her, not just physically but beyond. She was good where she stood: alone and ignored.

After a few moments, she began to slip her bangles from her wrist as she made her way to the exit. There was nothing left to stay for.

"Where are you headed? They're over there." Sai's voice interrupted her spiral of thoughts. She turned around, shocked. Sai's aura also seemed lighter than before. "I hadn't realized that you knew how to dance." He commented as he offered his arm for her.

"I'm not that good." She responded meekly and accepted his manner.

"Nonsense, you were fantastic!" He complimented with a genuine smile and stepped through the mass to get to the group. "I would even say that your moves were more graceful than the nobles around you. I would even suggest that you were on equal level with those of royalty, which would only complement you further considering that you have received little training in the etiquette of dance." Sai sounded excited. She hadn't expected it from someone like him. "Congratulations. Perhaps people will no longer question your position here."

Awestruck and flustered by his words, Tenten chose to remain silent since she had nothing else to say other than a mere "thank you."

Eventually, Naruto and company acknowledged their appearance as they opened up their circle to them. They were in the middle of excited chatter in reference to their dance. She found it interesting how honest their gazes were.

Hinata locked eyes with Naruto. Sasuke locked eyes with Sakura. And occasionally, their direction would wonder off to others as to not draw suspicion.

But even Tenten, who hadn't known the full story behind Sakura and Sasuke knew that something was going on.

As the night continued with more chatting, dancing and food, an attendant eventually left the Uchiha and Hyuuga King and entered the crowd. Sasuke first caught him leaving and the rest followed his gaze to see what had happened. The eye glances stopped and the comfortable body language amongst them tensed

Tenten watched the small man fumble through the people to relay the message he received from the kings. Upon his arrival, he first pardoned the intrusion and both prince and princess responded calmly by stepping out of the circle. The conversation died down and Naruto's face became slightly downcast with the absence of his lover in the arms of someone else.

Someone whom the king supported.

Someone whom the public would accept.

Lo and behold, the royals stepped back into the group to give their quick pardons of goodbye before they left the crowded area. Tenten had overheard a bit of the conversation. The kings wanted them to find a quitter place for conversation to get to know one another.

Tenten's duties as a servant beat loudly against her wandering heart. She excused herself and snuck out to tail the princess and prince. The two had gone into the familiar large hallways entered one of the pointlessly large sitting rooms. Knowing that she couldn't get close enough to hear their location, she decided that watching the door would be better than doing nothing.

So she relocated to a less obvious area to spy on them.

As much as she heard the respectable attributes of Prince Uchiha, she still didn't trust him alone with the Princess, even if his closest friend was Naruto. When the two were far beyond the sight of others, their tense and false smiles disappeared in the presence of one another.

From where Tenten hid, she could not hear their conversation but later that night Hinata had told her the details of the conversation.

Their talk could have occurred like this:

"Considering that Naruto is my best friend – don't tell him that. It has been obvious to me for a long time that you two are more involved than you claim. In many ways, I respect that. I also admit that both of us getting married would not be the worst in the world for me. After all, in comparison to the other matches that my father had encouraged, you are the best one." Sasuke told her as he lit the flames in the fireplace while Hinata made herself comfortable in her seat.

"And I will also admit that you are the best match for me as well." Hinata agreed. "We can do much in our partnership considering that our philosophies and love for our countries would drive us to do whatever is best for our people." They didn't even look at each other as they acknowledged this. "However, it is clear that both our hearts already belong to someone else." Alas, the fire had finally sparked and Sasuke stepped back to take a seat next to Hinata's in an armchair.

"And I have a plan that should go well for the both us and our countries. The woman that I plan on marrying will still strengthen the ties between our two countries and will pull me out of our expected marriage arrangement. I'll be more active in my courtship towards her and I know my father will wait a few months before consulting me on marrying you."

"May things go as you planned." Hinata whispered. "For the sake of you and I." He reached for her hand and laid his on top of hers.

"Your words from earlier... When you had mentioned that only princes could marry the woman of their choosing. I sympathize. After all, it had been my brother who insisted for his marriage towards Hisana – the noblewoman. I mean, it wasn't entirely for love at first but she was outsider of the clan. That is a big deal for us Uchiha men.

"Anyways… what I'm trying to say is… Naruto is my dearest friend. I will do what I can to encourage the marriage between you two." In return, she placed her other hand on top of his and offered a gentle smile.

"I think Naruto and I have already accepted the inevitable outcome of my handing off to someone else. Father wouldn't let me marry him if it didn't benefit the Kingdom." This time she had looked at the fire and Sasuke didn't say anything because he also knew the reality of Hinata's situation.

Sensing the darkened mood, Hinata began to prod about Sakura. "How long have you known her?" At that, Sasuke let his hand return to his armchair as his cheeks tinted with the _slightest_ blush.

"I've known her for a little bit longer than I have known you. She was always around Naruto but I was never able to talk to her too much. I was too shy and when I was able to talk to her, I was very mean. She always threw me off guard." He grinned. "It's embarrassing to admit but I've grown to love her through Naruto's letter's and eventually have gotten the courage to finally talk to her without sounding like a total arse." They laughed at that. "What about you? I reckon that it's your first time seeing Sakura?"

"It was… I was jealous. They're so open about their relationship. Also… I'm certain you know of the courtship they've had in the past."

They paused to dwell on the fact.

"Whenever they loved each other, it was never during the same time. I don't know whether to pity them or to say that fate must be on our side." Sasuke said with sigh. He leaned over, propped his elbows on his knees and hid his distraught expression behind his hands.

"Fate… I have always considered it my enemy but if you put it that way… then perhaps I will give it a chance. I've always fought against it. Only to loose to the duties written before my birth."

"My dear, you've gotten it all wrong. The only way to fight fate is to use strategies outside its ways." She laughed at that.

"Then let us see who the best player is."

"Yes, we shall." He smirked.

Considering that nothing happened, Tenten relaxed from the place she hid. She stepped back and glanced over to her right where she had sensed a presence.

"I know you're there." She stated.

Although she did not seee the person, she felt nothing hostile come from them.

"I commend you for your dedication in serving Hinata despite you posing as a noble tonight." The voice made her heart leap. She recognized that it belonged to Neji.

"I have much respect and love for Hinata. I desire to remain loyal even when I'm playing dressing up."

He remained quiet, dwelling on her words before he peeled himself off the pillar and stood. He muttered something under his breath but before Tenten could ask him what it was that he said, he disappeared.

Tenten continued to observe the fast growing friends who laughed over their miserable situation. It continued like that throughout the next month and a half. The two visited each other often as commanded by the Kings.

But Naruto and Sakura were never too far from them. Towards the public eye, it had been the recent gem of gossip of the possible marriage between the two countries but Tenten knew that the gossip would halt one day. The things her very eyes saw daily knew the truth.

She still snuck Hinata and Naruto in and out of the castle. Life seemed to go on as per usual, aside from the frequent visits from the Uchiha Royal Family. The days went quickly and Tenten wondered what the future would hold.

On that night, the waiting stopped.

The Uchiha's had just hopped on their ships and Hinata had only just gotten out of her dress. They stood quietly as Tenten helped the Princess into her nightgown.

The atmosphere of the moon laid a blanket of peace on the country below and Hinata felt the weight of that comfort in her heart.

"The next visit is the day when Sasuke proposes." She whispered quietly as Tenten untangled the pins in her hair.

"That soon hmm?" Tenten responded, half attentive.

"Yes, he wants to do it as soon as possible before his father announces possible arrangements for a wedding between us. He's very sweet and is concerned about tainting Sakura's image and mine if he were too late in his plan.

"Sasuke made sure that he wouldn't blindside his family either. His older brother has given him the blessing; his mother is thrilled by Sakura and wants Sasuke happy; Hisana loves Sakura and King Fugaku knows much about the Haruno business. It's just the father who needs a little more convincing."

"I'm sure his father will agree to it. Everyone in the family is saying yes so it looks like everything will go well!"

"That's what I believe, however, we are not entirely confident that he will easily accept it. According to Sasuke, he can be very callous and stubborn." She pouted and sighed deeply.

Tenten reached down to pinch Hinata's cheeks. "It will all work out! I promise!" She said out loud before the both of them burst into laughter.

"Thank you Tenten."

After much chatter when Hinata's excitement finally mellowed down for sleep, Tenten left her quarters.

Everything was going according to plan.

It seemed that the universe blessed the day by bestowing them a full moon in a cloudless sky. However, Tenten felt uncomfortable in its perfection. Fate wanted to strike back and so it made its move.

Something was off.

Something stirred her soul to go back to Hinata, to make sure that she was safe. At first, she ignored her instincts so she remained still by the tall windows, contemplating if she should follow her gut feeling or head back to sleep for another early morning of work.

But her feet were already moving on it's own, back towards the hallway that led to Hinata's room. Her quick walk turned into a light jog then fluidly transitioned into a sprint.

Logic declared that the familiar door stood untouched but her heart propelled her to take a peak. She stood still, waiting to catch her breath before she pushed it open. There was a creak as the door opened slowly. Her other hand traveled to the dagger that she had strapped to her upper thigh.

She glanced inside, surveying the area and found Hinata fast asleep.

She relaxed, stepped back, closed the door, paused for 5 seconds before she slammed the door open and ducked an incoming bullet that shattered a piece of the door behind her. She sprinted forward, pulled out her dagger and lunged her weapon straight for the shadowy figure that had appeared by the princess's bedpost.

There was a clash of metal before Hinata awakened with a scream. It caught the man off guard for a split second but it was all Tenten needed. She stabbed his thigh, dodged his wild swing and grabbed Hinata's hand. Together they ran through the door and down the hallway.

"We have to check on Hanabi!"

"Understood." Tenten told her.

She knew Hinata was her first priority but both girls could not leave the young one alone. They made a strict turn to the right where they saw two dead guards down in front of the door. Takeshi and Akira.

They were sent to watch the young princess, knowing how she'd like to sneak out on occasion. Hinata quivered in fear.

"No…" Hinata's voice came out as a whisper.

As much as Tenten grieved for her friends, she knew that she could not waste time processing the senseless murders. Instead she reached to grab the weapons from their bodies and kicked the door open.

Her rowdy appearance managed to intercede the incoming attack that Hanabi dodged.

Tenten let go of Hinata as she darted straight for the intruder with the sword that once belonged to Akira. Her weapon clashed with the shadow's weapon and she managed to throw him off guard while Hanabi rummaged through her side desk to retrieve something. Tenten wasn't sure since her concentration was diverted elsewhere.

"Leave me be! Just run!" Tenten shouted, pushing the man away.

"It's alright, I've got this solved!" Hanabi responded as she pulled out a whistle. Just as she was about to blow into the device, another man had supernaturally appeared before her and grabbed her arm.

Tenten gasped in fear as Hanabi's enemy lowered his hand to strike until a loud shot was heard and Hanabi's attacker was on the floor. From outside, Hinata had picked up the rifle from the Takeshi.

"Hinata!" Tenten commended Hinata's audacity and quick wit. Rifles were of a newer advancement and she hadn't expected her to make such an accurate and deadly shot.

The break in that moment allowed Hanabi to blow into the device. Their anticipation and hope broke when no sound came out. Tenten started to feel hopless. She knew these enemies were stronger than her. Her luck had run far but she knew it would end soon.

"Go!" She shouted at the two girls and kept on fighting with a suicidal fanaticism. "Go." She begged in desperation, feeling the sword spin away from her hand as she fell. "This is it." She shut her eyes, waiting for the blow until a large howl rung through the night air.

Kiba's dogs.

Help was coming.

Hearing the collection of howls forced the enemy to retreat and grab their fallen partner also. In a few seconds, a pack of dogs led by Akamaru were present.

The dogs instantly surrounded themselves around the royalty while Akamaru greeted Tenten with a sniff. Once he deemed she was not a traitor, he walked off to continue observing the scene.

Soon Kiba had arrived with Naruto whose whiskers were scattered across his face. It was the first time that Tenten had ever witnessed the first stage of his infamous Demon Fox mode – it was terrifying.

Naruto glanced at Tenten then made his way towards Hinata.

"Hin- Princess, are you hurt?" He asked and withdrew his hand that was about to reach for her.

"I'm alright… thanks to Tenten." She informed him, smiling softly at her dear friend. There was a sigh of relief from Naruto's end as he silently showed his appreciation with a nod.

"And you Hanabi?" Naruto asked, turning his attention to the little girl.

"Eh, nothing I couldn't handle!" She grinned brightly.

"That's good to know." Naruto said. "And you Tenten. Are you hurt?"

"I'm not." She informed but gripped her sore wrist.

"Thank you Tenten. You did well tonight." Naruto nodded and went back to inspect head started to pound at her expected migraine.

However, seeing her in her chiffon nightgown and the silhouette of her naked and curvy body behind the thin material caught him off guard. He reached for his cloak and wrapped it around her. Hinata who just realized what Naruto had seen made her blush as she accepted it gladly.

"Where's Neji-nii-sama?" Hanabi asked, settling herself on top of Akamaru as the dog traveled near the group of people.

"He's scouting around with Shino." Kiba informed.

Shino was no longer a member of the Royal Inner Circle due to voluntarily leave. He had wanted to pursue further studies in sciences and the king who saw this as a noble reason, gave him title of honorary RIC.

It was one of the things that gave Sai the confidence to leave as well to pursue his own passions.

"Let's hope his bugs are able to track them better than my dogs though I find that highly unlikely." He grinned and rubbed Akamaru on his head. "But let's get you ladies to your father." Kiba said and nodded at Naruto.

"I'll escort them. Make sure you catch their scent." Naruto commanded Kiba before the two groups separated.

Hanabi who was reluctant to leave Akamaru's side, gave the dog one final hug before she joined her sister's side. Tenten followed behind and kept an eye out for any possible ambushes even though she knew Naruto was fully capable of handling any situation.

Especially now that he was in his full Demon Fox mode. His entire body glowed an orange aura, his eyes were red and his fingers almost grew in size and length. It made them all feel safe but it struck a fear mixed reverence in Tenten as she saw a whole other side of Naruto. It made her nervous.

Hinata on the other hand had an affectionate gaze towards Naruto. If Naruto weren't so focused on keeping everyone in the group safe, he would melt into his softer side.

Needless to say, they arrived safely at the east wing of the castle where the king's quarters were. His hallway was filled with soldiers on both sides of the wall, alert from the ambush. Naruto deactivated his form as they walked further along.

The group passed the king's bedroom and entered through a door known to be restricted to the princesses but due to their predicament, the guards did not bother to stop them from entering. Inside was a room decorated with armour, weapons and various portraits of the past kings and generals in there battle suits. In the center was a large table with a map of the entire world and pieces marked the areas where armies were stationed.

The king looked up and let out a sigh of relief upon seeing his daughter unharmed. Upon a second look he almost grimaced over the appearance of Hinata – how Naruto's cloak was around her but ignored those tiny details and went on to address them. Rock Lee was beside him and a various amount of esteemed men of warriors and elders surrounded the desk as well.

"It's the Uchiha's!" One of the elders spurted out, causing Naruto, Hinata and Tenten to cringe.

"I'm sorry elder but I have a hard time believing that it could be the Uchiha's. Beside how can you prove such an accusation?" Hinata immediately interceded. Her quick and confident answer surprised the old man but relaxed Naruto from his growing irritation.

"The timing! It cannot be a coincidence!" Another elder agreed. Naruto and Tenten both restrained themselves from groaning in disapproval. The older Hyuuga's had never approved of the growing friendliness between them and the Uchiha's considering their past. They did whatever they could to disconnect themselves and this seemed like the most perfect opportunity to blame them.

"We cannot say that with such confidence at this moment." Hinata retaliated in a calm voice that almost caused the elders to become silence with shame.

"Have we made an effort to contact them?"

"We've sent the pigeons." Rock Lee informd him. "Now we're just waiting for a response." Tension fell as they waited.

Hanabi had fallen asleep and they brought in an armchair for her to lie, and another one for Hinata as well but she insisted on remaining awake. Tenten was not so lucky in receiving the same privilege as the other girls.

She turned away from everyone to relieve a yawn. She had been awake for 20 hours as of yet.

Despite her fatigue she remained standing by Hinata's side and by doing so, she would catch the girl glancing at her lover, no doubt wanting to comfort him during this time. After all, it was Naruto's best friend that was in accusation. It would not be good between both sides if their current suspects were truly the attackers.

Hours had gone by, so much so that Tenten had time to gather tea and snacks for everyone in the room. On her travel between the kitchen and the room, she could see that the sunrise.

During one of her rounds for tea, she could see Neji walking quickly through the hallway across from her. He seemed to acknowledge her with a glance and although he said nothing, she knew something was wrong. Neji's face said it with the subtle scrunch of his nose and slightly tilted eyebrows.

She quickened her steps to match his pace. She didn't to miss his news.

In a swift and elegant gait, his mere confident attire of status alone caused the to guards bow their head in respect. When he reached the doors, he didn't waste time for the two guards to greet him. He simply pushed both doors opened and announced in a loud voice. "The Uchiha Clan has been massacred."

There was a gasp in the air and a collection of widened eyes. Tenten remembered loosing her grip on the plate of cups and snacks she had. It's shattering echoed loudly in the room.

Hinata had fainted and Naruto quivered with a mixture of emotions.

It couldn't be, it can't be.

1233456

OMG, my busy life. Sorry guys, Here enjoy : )

Here's the edited version!


	3. Chapter Two: Eye of the Hurricane

Chapter Two: Eye of the Hurricane

Tenten remembered how the entire castle was at a standstill.

Every single person of importance wore black to mourn for the Uchiha's.

Every single flag in Konohagakure had been lowered halfway.

Even the king had taken his mourning to whole other level by refusing to eat food of high class or wear complicated layers of extravagant silks. Rather, he was so simple that even Tenten had a hard time distinguishing him from the rest. With his lowly apparel, Tenten hadn't realized how she subconsciously lowered her level of awareness or respected for the King she so otherwise revered.

Yet despite the king going through great lengths to show his disappointment, Naruto had taken the news far worse.

The high-energy lad had always inspired positive energy around his peers. His unparalleled charisma rallied the soldiers to devotion; his inhumane strength guarded people's faith; and his passionate devotion to the Kingdom evoked loyalty amongst the many. Lately however, his mere presence sucked away any remaining joy.

Knowing that he was affecting morale, Naruto hid himself in his room – never leaving it to see anyone.

There was a moment when he did not speak or ask for Hinata in the first few days to take some time to grieve by himself. It was only after a week or so that Tenten went on to escort the princess to their secret place in the forests.

Upon those times, she never really spoke to Naruto as she saw the brokenness evident on his face but in the midst of the chaos she saw hope in his eye. His calloused expression marked a man who had wept his tears out, who now had fallen in the numbness of emotion. But it would change when he saw Hinata.

His eyes would fill with hope; his lips would part in awe and relief as he waited for Hinata to climb down the horse that Tenten led. If anything, Tenten never believed in soul mates but with Naruto and Hinata, she believed it.

Hinata was _his_ light in the time when he, the light of the people, was extinguished.

She would stand guard by the seemingly abandoned cottage and every time she could see Naruto let himself be truly vulnerable in his lover's arms. She saw it every day for a second, through the chink of the door, the split second before it shut to give the two lovers their much-needed space.

It was such a heartbreaking moment for Tenten to see both the people she loved and respected in that situation. She could not bare of fathom the weight of Naruto neither could she begin to understand the pain Hinata felt as the helpless comforter.

All Hinata could do was cry with him and smoothen his anxieties by whispering sweet melodies into his ear so that the sleepless man could finally fall asleep. Even if it meant that she had to stay awake too.

And the cycle went on as Tenten felt the weight of compassion press against her chest. "You're doing an amazing job." She would tell the Princess yet Hinata would never take her compliment. There was so much more she had wanted to do for Naruto but they were all so impossible.

This was starting to take a toll on the Princess. Tenten saw it on her otherwise smooth skin that now had heavy dark circles under her eyes.

So Tenten had decided to remain as faithful as she could in supporting Hinata. Whether that was staying on guard, keeping a respectful silence for Naruto and lifting up prayers to the gods. Tenten too wanted to help.

Every day hurt.

Living became hard.

Breathing took an effort.

And Tenten could only wonder when they'd reach _the_ day when they'd gain enough strength to properly move on without it hurting as much. She understood that the time until then was just a word. It could take days, weeks, months or years.

After all, she understood. She went through the exact same thing after the dreadful day her parents had died. Finding the strength to live each day without the pain took more than a couple of years.

Even now, in moments like these, would remind Tenten of her past and the scarred pain that she had carried in her heart would flake off into it's fresh wound. It would hurt and squeeze her chest thinking about it.

She missed her parents.

Something that she had rarely done now that it had been 10 years.

She was 9 then.

Now she was 19 soon turning 20.

The remaining days before her knighting seemed to blend in together. She stayed by Hinata's side as her guard and maid. On top of attending the constant interviews set by Kiba and Akamaru who were trying to piece the entire situation together.

The one day that was, by far, distinguishable than the rest was the night Hinata had told her, "I've spoken to father and nominated you to become part of the Royal Inner Circle." Tenten who mindlessly lived the monotonous routine of her life suddenly awakened from her unconscious dream.

Her eyes widened at the Princess.

"I know how much you look up to the Inner Circle and you've proved yourself worthy, I believe that father will have to consider you despite your gender."

"Princess I-" Tenten stuttered as her tongue tried to form comprehendible words but she failed to do so. "Who will take care of you?" Tenten asked, redirecting it back to Hinata as she stared straight into her friend's eyes.

"Although the RIC are specifically the King's guard, Father and I have agreed that it would be best to have at least one RIC warrior around me. Many of the elders believe that I am the next to be targeted. Most obviously, they will try to find someone suitable to replace you all together but they want to be very careful to make sure there isn't a repeat of past." Hinata told her before burying her face in her pillow as she forced herself to sleep after a long night with Naruto.

"A repeat of the past?" Tenten wondered what Hinata had meant.

The rest that followed were as mundane as the rest except this time, she had something to look forward to and every time she had encountered the King, she felt embarrassed in his presence. After all he had complete power to decline or accept her future role in the Royal Inner Circle.

After the next proceeding week, a royal messenger had found her and handed her a royally sealed letter. It was such an odd thing to give considering that he could just relay the information to her but she proceeded to release the wax seal of the royal crest. The paper she had pulled out was heavy and thick with golden designs and lavished with floral art.

She quivered in excitement and her ears were filled with nothing but her loud heartbeats. Her world seemed to slow down as her eyes read the following words.

 _Tenten of Konohagakure,_

 _Maidservant of Princess Hinata Hyuuga_

 _It has come to the attention of many notable people of the honourable deed you have displayed by saving the Princesses. With skill and class, you have proven yourself to be a mighty warrior and it is with this, that we would gladly knight you into the Royal Inner Circle. We have come to a conclusion that the ceremony be held promptly by tomorrow noon. Further instructions can be gathered from Yumiko, the woman replacing your current occupation._

 _King Hiashi Hyuuga of Konohogakure,_

 _14_ _th_ _of His Name,_

 _The Unifier of Ancient Pasts_

And once her eyes had peered above her letter, she could see her replacement: a woman of thin slanted eyes and long dark hair that was tied neatly behind her. Her face alone could scare away any predators but she had a beautiful smile that melted away her cold face.

Bashfully, Tenten offered Yumiko a curtsy and she responded likewise.

"It's a pleasure to meet you and an honour to encounter the first female Inner Circle. The role that I take from you is a privilege." She had bowed lower than Tenten had.

"Shall I show you how my routine ought to go?" Tenten had asked meekly.

"Yes." Again, the girl offered another smile.

Throughout the entire rundown, Tenten was surprised how easy it was to strike up a conversation with Yumiko. She was engaging to talk to, wise with her words, patient and attentive. The only thing Tenten wondered was, would Hinata trust Yumiko to escort her to Naruto?

As the two ladies chatted, Tenten had discovered that Yumiko had been a master of various forms of martial arts and trained in spear handling. She had received these lessons as a maidservant to one of Grand Elder Ryuunosuke's nieces.

It was known that the esteemed elder who had been a previous RIC warrior, as well as a monumental piece to the previous war between Kumogakure and Konohagkure had little care over gender rules. In fact, he had made sure that everyone in his family, even the ladies, had some form of self-defence tactics and even more so for those who served under his family.

Most of the army from Konohagakure was from Grand Elder Ryuunosuke's region, which was the entire, east side of the country. Even the army of Konohagkure would often be sent to East to refine their skills and for the parents who wished for their children to learn the art of war was sent there to serve for a few years.

That was where Yumiko came to serve under them. Her parents who were lowborn felt that it was the best chance she had of a brighter future and Yumiko's resilience brought her to the high positions.

Hearing the history of Yumiko made Tenten too embarrassed to share where she had received her own training. The truth was, Tenten hadn't had a mentor or any time in the military much like it was mandatory for Yumiko. Instead, Tenten _naturally_ knew how to handle most weapons.

She wasn't sure how it worked necessary but when she laid her hand on a weapon, it would become one with her body and she was fluid with her actions. It was as if she was a reincarnation of a previous weapons master. The only downside was that if she were to rely too long on these gifted instincts, she would get a deadly ill migraine that could last for a week.

So she made sure to teach herself how to use daggers at least so she wouldn't run herself a headache.

Another aspect that Tenten found intriguing was Yumiko's courtship with Shino. Tenten had never imagined Shino to be remotely romantic. Nor had she encountered a woman that could tolerate his bug habits but then again, the way Yumiko had described Shino seemed completely different from the way he portrayed himself to be.

It was one of those hidden things amongst lovers that Tenten couldn't understand but only observe. It made her envious.

When Tenten had finished walking her around the castle, she had brought Yumiko to the servant's quarters where her bed was. Unlike the other servants, Tenten had the privilege of having the bed at the end that had other luxuries that the others were not entitled to. She had a small closet, a desk, a shelf and a higher allowance.

"I hope this is fine."

"It is." Yumiko responded. "I sometimes feel that the Cliff's Falling doesn't get enough sunshine." Cliff's Falling was the location of Grand Elder Ryuunosuke's castle.

"I should clear it out." Tenten said, going on to open her closet.

"No need to do that now." Yumiko quickly said. "There's time after your ceremony."

"Right." Tenten flushed suddenly feeling inadequate. If anything, she felt Yumiko had more of a right to the RIC than she did.

"Have you thought of something to wear?"

"Uhm." Tenten eye's wandered to he near empty closet. There were other copies of her uniform, her old leather armour she had bought a long time ago with her pay and a casual dress she was gifted from Hinata. "Not sure." She paused and thought about the other RIC ceremonies.

Most of them were done out of a successful graduation from the RIC training program. It consisted of highly gifted boys who are trained by the army first then handed off the RIC for the rest of their training. If they had survived, they would be nominated and sent off across the country to do survival training and mock missions.

Once they survive that, they go back to RIC for their last stretch of training. The number of candidates would have dropped to 2 or 3 and those who made it would have graduated at around 20.

Her ceremony would be different. It was practically on a whim. She didn't traverse through the harsher side of the country, received wise counsel or even go through such a program. In truth she had no idea how it would go.

Usually they'd be extravagant and would last an entire evening in magnificent celebration. The King would bestow his new guard a new silk outfit as a gift and the ceremony took at least a week to plan. But from her knowledge, there had been no scramble to get the pieces done and no fittings to be done.

It was one of the reasons why she was scared that she'd be rejected.

"Perhaps you should wear this." Yumiko said, pulling out the leather armour. "I could polish it for you in time for the ceremony and it would be such a statement to see a woman receive such an honour without wearing a dress." Yuiko's dark eyes observed the material carefully.

"You would really do that?"

"Of course." Yumiko said without hesitation. "There isn't much to do until you've been promoted and again, this is such a privilege. You are a milestone in history. You're forever eternalized within the pages of it, declared as the first female to every join a public and honoured group such as the Royal Inner Circle! Again, I am honoured." Yumiko beamed a smile, the brightest Tenten had seen.

Tenten was flattered and beyond words but she started to feel the pressure of expectation from being part of the group. Yumiko's words made her realize that she was a representation of women all around who wished to break stereotypes. Indeed, she was honoured but at the same time terrified.

Further on, the thought of being away from her dear co-workers made her homesick already. Most of them no idea since this matter was declared private until the knighting ceremony.

The day after was the ceremony. The goodbyes came quickly after with many tears and soon Rock Lee escorted her out of the castle.

Indeed it was terrifying and often Tenten doubted her role but she was glad that it gave people the chance to take off their mourning clothes and raise the proud flag of Konohagakure once again.

123

Now she remained in bed – titled as such. As the sun settled, she watched the shadows in her room grow taller and engulf her room in darkness. It fascinated her. She had nothing to think about for once. She had time to mindlessly stare at shadows.

It was change she liked.

Suddenly a knock on her door surprised her. She sat up and approached it, opening it slightly to reveal Kiba and Akamaru behind him. "Dinner is ready." He stepped back to give her space as she walked out of her bedroom.

Together, they left the house and made a straight line towards the cafeteria. Even from outside, they can see the puffs of smoke escape the roof and could smell the pleasing aromas that tingled their taste buds.

"Sorry if we came off as intimidating." Kiba began the conversation while he patted Akamaru's head. The dog bowed slightly, looking at Tenten with a pouted expression. At first, Tenten had no idea what he had referred to until she remembered his interrogations concerning the attacks.

"There is no need to raise such a concern. If there is any more I could do to help the investigations that night, by all means, let it be done again."

"And I really did appreciate your willingness and cooperation. It was a much-needed attitude during such a stressful event and it showed good character. If it weren't for that, I would not have given such an easy approval." He grinned from ear to ear – a common trait that 80% of the RIC's seemed to share. It had eased her tremendously knowing that they were all so open and friendly. She paused as she realized something. It was because of this, people could trust them and as such, have reverence for them.

"I'm surprised I even got a consideration… being a woman and all." She whispered and felt the slight embarrassment seep into her as she revealed an insecurity of hers – an insecurity that strongly defined who she was, an insecurity she was born with.

"I would be lying to you if I said I wasn't sceptical about your abilities… and just by laying down unbiased facts, men are _physically_ more capable than women. If you were to pair up a woman and man – both being at their physical peaks, a man could easily over power the woman."

He was right of course and Tenten showed her agreement with a nod. Even her days as a servant proved that men were capable in physical activities. She could still remember her father lighten the burden of her mother. She found respect in their natural ability but was slightly envious as well.

"If you managed to fend off those top level enemies that passed Akamaru's nose," Kiba continued as he patted the dog's head. "Then clearly, your skills should not be looked down even as a woman."

Her gentle smile was all Kiba needed to know that what he said was greatly appreciated. Seeing this, he allowed her to live the short few seconds of appreciation before he interjected. "But we'll have to see Rook, if you really are capable." He teased as they entered the cafeteria - a building that smelled considerably pleasant despite it filled with sweaty men who were clearly starved.

The noise levels of the conversations were extremely loud. Louder than the conversations she heard at the ball and it was filled with obnoxious yet unashamed laughter. It was brightly lit with light bulbs rather than candles.

Once she entered inside, the soldiers stopped what they were doing to stare at Tenten. She tensed and swallowed the lump in her throat. Did she miss the memo? Was she supposed to make a speech? She glanced at Kiba who addressed them with a grin before until they all broke into a cheery song.

"Welcome to the brotherhood, arm and arm. We guard each other from any harm and proudly fight side by side. Together as we stand, side by side, we welcome you with great pride – to our family and to our brotherhood!" The song repeated with deep voices – some on tune and most were off tune but she could hear the melody behind their laps of notes.

After another repeat of the tune, a young lad from the crowd handed her and Kiba a decent pint of ale. Tenten followed Kiba as he raised his cup in the air. "A toast to our new sister and all hail the king!" It was after their final chant, they tapped their glass mugs against each others, causing the top layer of foam to spill over and run down their large necks as they chugged their drinks.

On the other hand, Tenten was a little hesitant in taking the drink, as she had never done so casually in the presence of such a vast amount of men. Was it appropriate for her to join?

Kiba noticed her dilemma and whispered: "If you don't drink up, they'll think you're rude."

It suddenly made sense to her this was a rite of entrance and knowing this, she followed along and drank. As she did, there were howls and cheers thus encouraging her to finish the entire thing despite initially not wanting to. With one final gulp, she raised her empty cup and welcomed the remainder of the final explosion of shouts in celebration.

"Good job Rook." Kiba patted her back and she stumbled forward. "I didn't expect you to drink all that."

"Neither did I." She confessed and allowed her feet to move to wherever Kiba led her. There were many compliments that were thrown at her, specifically about how she saved the daughters of the king. Her head fogged up and she felt herself become sleepy but nonetheless she made it to their table unharmed.

Their table was located in the center and she saw the rest of the RIC Warriors: Neji, Lee, Naruto and Shino. In front of them were laid out cutlery designed to fit any noblemen, which was far different from the rest of the troops who had their wooden utensils.

"So this is where the Royal Inner Circle sits?" She managed to mumble out in a slight slur that was meant to be teasing.

"Looks like you got put in with the losers." Lee teased back and glanced at Naruto, to his left, who would usually be the first or so to join the light conversation.

The blonde just smiled softly – a way to acknowledge that he was hearing the conversation but chose not to engage. His eyes were dull, lost in thought and his clothing did well to translate this as his heavy black coat hung over his white tunic and black bottoms. Although he wore nothing colourful, Tenten's was glad that he wore white for the day.

She chose to sit down on the only available spot beside Neji, across from Naruto and diagonal from Lee and Shino as Kiba took the seat at the end to keep Akamaru by his side. The large dog's length alone took the entire end part of the table. At the same time, he was near Shino – the other one who had graduated with him in the RIC program. They were probably best friends.

As the two settled in, they stacked their empty mugs by the corner of the table considering that there was a cup by their plates. "How does this work exactly?" Tenten asked and looked around curiously as all the other tables were consumed in their own conversation. Yet many openly stared at the RIC table in order to acknowledge the first female that they had just invited into their brotherhood.

"Just wait and see." Lee grinned as he looked at a pair of doors near the stage.

A few moments later, a long line of male servants walked out with large plates of food balanced on their arms and made their way first to the RIC table. The servants settled down the basket of bread, cheeses, large bowl of salad and soup to start with the appetizers.

Tenten's mouth fell open as she witnessed this display of service – not just to the RIC but the remainder of the people who also had the same food (just not on fancy plates). The service was quick and routine as the workers went back to retreat in the kitchen.

As the doors swung open, she could hear the small chaos behind the doors and catch a glimpse of a fat man who seemed to be shouting for orders. Once the door closed, she noticed that all eyes were on her and out of a need for explanation; she glanced at her most trusted friend.

"Dig in." Naruto managed to break his silence. "You're the guest of honour tonight. We can't start eating unless you've taken it first." He explained before going back into his solemner side.

Without wanting to be a burden to the others, Tenten quickly took a bread roll and eagerly bit into the crispy yet soft texture. After her bite, many of the others went on to devour their food.

"Are all meals like this?!" Tenten asked after she had finish swallowing. The bread alone was delightful: chewy yet textured to indicate it's freshness.

"I wish." Lee said. His voice seemed to fill the spots were Naruto would usually talk. "Today's just special because of your knighting. Usually, they don't pull out the alcohol or any variety. It's usually one appetizer, one main meal, and a small desert that comes in once a week." Lee spoke on top of his quick chewing and slurps.

"I was deceived too." Kiba commented with a grin, recalling the difference between his first and second meal. He threw a piece of vegetable from his soup at Akamaru who easily caught it with his mouth.

She glanced at Naruto who ate slowly. She frowned. Naruto usually ate fast.

Shino ate silently and was mindful of his space while Neji seemed to be glowing with proper etiquette that it hurt Tenten's eyes. In comparison, she was slouching, had her legs slightly open in sitting position while her elbows rested on the table.

She grimaced as he closed his eyes as he gracefully lifted the spoon towards his lips. It passed his pipe hole without making a single noise.

Sensing that Tenten was staring, Neji glanced at her, which made her spine crawl before refocusing her attention on her own meal. Conscious of the way she carried her self; she straightened her back, closed her legs and slid her elbows off the table. It wasn't too much of an effort considering she had observed the nobles for a long time. Mastering the image a proper lady was something every servant developed.

However, she was disappointed to feel the need to keep up such formalities in a place she hoped to call home.

In order to keep her mind off that, she jumped into Kiba and Shino's conversation as the two idly chatted about Shino's current studies on bugs and the ability to control them.

"So far, the bugs are very responsive to familiar people those who share the same blood as mine."

"Why do you think that?" Tenten asked which drew the attention to her.

""You'll learn soon enough Rook, no need to rush yourself." Kiba said out loud with a suspiciously wide smile.

"Don't tell me this has something to do with those so called super powers I keep hearing the RIC have… like Neji being able to see through walls or whatever." She glanced at Neji and the Hyuuga simply smirked.

A sense of terror ran through her spine and even though she did not believe it…she felt like she suddenly understood why Naruto was so adamant about meeting with Hinata far from the barracks or anywhere near any other Hyuuga. She wondered if Hinata possessed that same power or just had a knack for knowing when to avoid people.

"There's still a lot you'll need to learn before we tell you." Neji finally spoke.

She felt like she was missing something.

"What are the things I'm needing to learn exactly?" Tenten asked.

"The basics and lots and lots more." Neji scoffed. Tenten resisted rolling her eyes.

"You'll need to get to know us more." Kiba said. "It's important to know each other's dynamics – to know it as much as you know your own in order to be effective on and off the field."

"Well, yeah but Naruto and Neji mainly focus on that stuff so they know how to position us but it is still important to know each other's strengths and weaknesses." Lee smiled, taking the last piece of his bread to clean off the remaining soup from his bowl.

As he spoke, she noticed that the servers were coming back out with more plates. She hurriedly ate the remainder of her plate before they had collected it and placed the main meal. This time, they were all going to enjoy chicken on seasoned rice and assorted vegetables.

"I guess they didn't have time to prepare ribs." Lee commented, taking in a large portion of everything.

"Your knighting did come in the least expected time." Shino added. "Because I am no longer officially part of the Circle, I had no idea until Yumiko informed me."

"She's really friendly." Tenten recalled. "And pretty."

"She is." Shino agreed and they all observed a small smile stretch across his face. By the intrigued expression on their faces, she knew that it was a rare sight probably because most of his face covered by his long collar. Tenten wondered what else she'd discover. So far she's realized that most of the members from RIC are down to earth.

"How did you two enter courtship anyways?" She asked and saw everyone relax into a goofy grin. It seemed that they were all there to witnesses the union between the two or had heard of this story a lot.

Throughout the entire meal up until desert, they had recalled in detail how they had encountered her at a dinner held at Cliff's Falling. As a previous RIC, Ryuunosuke would often invite all the RIC members for a feast now and then.

At such feasts, Ryuunosuke would hold extravagant duals amongst any in his army. Although Ryuunosuke hadn't cared much about gender when it came to training but in this particular event, woman weren't allowed to participate.

Yumiko who had been attending to the elder's niece had managed to block a loose dagger than came her way. However, rather than pushing the lady aside or grabbing a close object to shield her, Yumiko had grabbed it by the hilt and stopped the blade just inches away from the lady.

Ryuunosuke's brother was quite furious and demanded the participant to forfeit. In the end, they decided to replace him with Yumiko who was outfitted with armour and sent out to dual. She was strong and fought well, not well enough to win but far.

In her last duel, she had to admit defeat yet would not surrender. According to house rules, the fight must continue until one is to forfeit or is unconscious. Yumiko was brash and stubborn then and refused to go down so as she accepted her final blow, a wall of bugs had blocked her from her attacker's last strike.

"But that wasn't what made them fall in love." Kiba rolled his eyes at the memory. "Our generation had wanted to intercede but we were all too worried to make a move, in fear that we would disrespect the rules of the house and of the RIC who were older then us.

"Lee, Naruto and I were to busy discussing softly whether we ought to intercede. Shino was different. He didn't wait for a go, he just did it."

"Actually I decided to block the attack because all of my colleagues felt that it was the right thing to do." Shino said. "Knowing that they wanted to intercede meant that my own thoughts were right and so I had stopped the blow."

"But get this." Kiba chuckled, thinking the memory over. "The dead bugs landed on her head, another on her shoulder, one on her chest-"

"Point is the bugs fell on her." Shino interrupted.

"Did she scream?" Tenten asked.

"No." They all said with a smirk. Even Naruto responded with a grin.

"Instead, she looked at them with 'soft' eyes and apologized. She forfeited, collected the dead ones and said to Shino,

"I'm so sorry that your black blisters were sacrificed for my foolishness."

"Oh boy, after those words, we could all see Shino's expression relax like nothing we'd seen before." Kiba howled out a laugh as the rest followed.

"This boy found love." Lee teased, leaning over to punch Shino's arm.

"Since then, they had been exchanging letters and once he quit, he started to court her."

"What about you Lee?" Tenten asked as she chose to toss the relationship questions over to the other side of the table. The lad nearly chocked on his piece of cake before he quickly swallowed and grinned brightly.

"I met the most beautiful cherry blossom in the world!" He sighed longingly while his thoughts wandered into his memory of the beautiful female. "I believe her name is Sakura-chan; a dear friend of Naruto's which I am relieved to know that they are just friends. The few visits she made to the castle have been refreshing and powerful as rushing water. As such, the gods and goddesses must have blessed me since I am always able to see her despite my busy schedule.

"I admit… and I feel foolish for saying this… but a small part of me believes that the late Prince Sasuke, rest in peace, did not take kindly to my feelings towards Sakura-chan despite the obvious attempts to pair him with the princess." Tenten paused her eating for a moment and raised an eyebrow at Lee's keen attention to detail.

She glanced at Naruto who remained stoic then refaced Lee. It seemed he also caught her subtle attention to Naruto. Instead he mistook it as a warning to be more sensitive to Naruto's mourning rather than her silent acknowledgement of Lee's perspective over the relationship dramas happening. "Well, not that it matters. RIC members are forbidden from having relationships!" Lee curved the conversation elsewhere and pointed at Neji. "Which must suck for this guy because he get's a lot of attention from females!"

"Like… a lot, a lot." Kiba jumped in and leaned forward to give him a wink. s

"Relationships are unnecessary. They can quickly turn into distraction which is something I cannot afford." Neji retaliated before he took a sip of hot tea.

"Talk about pole up your ass." Tenten whispered behind her mug but when the eyes of her mates matched hers, it was a clear indication that they all heard it. "Did you hear that?" She asked. Kiba and Lee began to laugh loudly, even Naruto let out a hearty snicker and Shino generously spared a few chuckles.

"I like you already Rook!" Kiba patted her back and clunked his ale with her cup of coffee. "I think you've beaten the quickest record for talking trash about the captain since your knighting. And hey, that means Naruto actually lost in something." Tenten glanced at Neji who clearly disapproved and displayed this with his very subtle pout. "But we're all just joking here. It's probably because Neji hasn't found the right woman yet." Kiba winked.

"Don't get your hopes up _Rook_ because it isn't you." There was a loud "ooo" as the boys settled in for the banters. Neji clearly felt higher with his blatant smirk.

"Puh-lease, do you really think I'd be interested in someone as boring as you?"

"Boring? Do you even know me?" He turned and looked down at her with a mischievous smile that made Tenten's cheek's brighten in red. His warm breath touched her cheek and brought her memories back to the time they had danced. She frowned and was reminded of his confrontation in the hall before then.

"I know that without your wealth you'd just be an ass… and boring too but congratulations. Your wealth is the only good thing about you." She spluttered into another insult that left everyone with gaped mouths. This particular one hit a certain nerve in Neji as he let his cup down and leaned towards her.

Lee, Kiba and Shino all burst into laughter at the rare sight of Neji unhinged. The two went into a tornado of arguments, loosing to the heat of their pent-up rage but before they could continue on their banter, Naruto stood. The leader of the RIC warriors face was unreadable and seeing, they all stopped their talk.

"I apologize for breaking such a cheery atmosphere." He said so formally that Tenten winced. "However, it has been a long day for me and I'm sure it has been like that for some of you as well. There is still debriefing and I request that we have it early because I have duties to address in the early morning. I'd appreciate some rest."

"Of course Naruto." Lee said softly.

"Thank you. I shall see you soon friends." And with that, he stepped out and exited the building with his black clock fluttering behind him as he disappeared from site.

The RIC didn't wait any longer as they dismissed their food and left earlier than the other soldiers. Once they arrived in their home, no longer with Shino, Kiba informed her that they'd have 10 minutes to settle themselves before assembling in the basement.

At that point, Tenten was left in the foyer, unsure of where to go. She had already been given a rigorous bathing ceremony in the beginning of the day to ensure she looked her best for her special day. So without any further thought, Tenten decided to meet Naruto earlier than everyone and arrived in the basement.

Unlike the rest of the house, the walls and floors were of cobblestone. It looked muddied and dirty but it was clear that they used this place the most since the equipment and practise dummies looked torn and broken.

Lee wasn't joking when he stated earlier that she would enjoy the basement as she was already getting excited at the wide array of weapons on the corner. They even had their own tools for fixing their weapons but she could see that it hasn't been used – perhaps she can bring the smelter and iron a good retouching.

In the center of the dimly lit room, Naruto was settled in the middle of the space overlooking a thick table of wood. His back was faced towards her, making it hard to see what he was staring at.

"Tenten." Naruto greeted.

"How'd you know?" She asked, wanting to spark up a conversation.

"Your footsteps." He grinned, turning around to face her. "Lee's are usually heavy and quick, Kiba's are agile while Neji's are composed and patterned."

"Oh? What about mine?" Naruto paused at her question and thought for a moment.

"Today… your footsteps are different. Usually they would be controlled and paced. Heavy even but today there is some hesitancy as you gauge your freedom. Your footsteps are light, bouncy and delicate." Although they were talking about footsteps – an honest conversation she had never imagined to have with Naruto, she was glad to be talking with him. It had felt like forever since they've had a relaxed conversation such as this one.

"Talking about footsteps?" It was Kiba who came barrelling down with Akamaru following behind him. Tenten tensed but he explained that he had supernatural hearing. "But I get what you mean though. I can usually tell who's who by the way they walk or sound."

Not long after, it was Lee and Neji who entered the same time but Lee was faster in his descent of the stairs. All the men where changed except for Neji; Kiba looked as if he was ready to go out for a night run and Lee was relaxed in his sleeping attire.

"Thank you for coming." Naruto welcomed them as they gathered around the table. She could see a map of their country and the ones surrounding it. Little trinkets of ships were placed in the _Kori to Hi_ sea between Konohagakure and Kumogakure. "There is much to talk about since Neji and I have been consulting with the King,"

"Long live the King." They all chanted excluding Naruto. Even Tenten knew when to say it from her previous role as a maidservant.

"There are plans to send a large amount of aid to Kumogakure in a month." Naruto continued. "All the other food deliveries that were made before have gotten a few raids but it was nothing our soldiers couldn't handle. However, this time… Along with the shipment of basic necessities the kingdom and its elders are gathering the best physicians, architects, engineers, teachers, artists and even a few politicians to assist the rebuilding and restoration of the Kumogakure.

"We must accompany them to ensure the safety of our own citizens. At the same time we cannot leave our own defenses unchecked. After careful consideration, Neji and I have decided that it would be best for you" He stared at Kiba. "to stay and keep Konohagakure safe. You will not be alone – Shino and the best of our warriors will be under you."

"Understood. I shall prepare the men and my pack."

"At the same time, Sai has already been stationed there and we will rendezvous with him. He told me that there is someone important that he is housing.

"Throughout the entire expedition, Sakura Haruno will be with us as a representation to the Haruno Corporations who are generously supplying us with the best ships. Now, I have a request as a friend, not as your leader, to reframe from revealing her true relationships to the Corporation. It would mean much and you will be appreciated.

"Now, I will slowly be dismissing information within the weeks to come since there are details still to be settled. At the same time, Neji and I have also planned a schedule for Tenten's training and assessment." Tenten gulped but gave a stern nod to indicate that she was prepared.

"Tenten shall accompany Lee in his morning jogs tomorrow. Lee you are responsible for showing her the routes to and out of the castle and so forth. Then you shall accompany me for a spar then be mentored by Neji and lastly join Kiba in his night watch." A part of her wanted to question when she would be able to sleep but considering the severity and regime of the RIC, she figured sleep was a small sacrifice to make.

"Now, as you know, we have been assigned each week in a rotation to protect Princess Hinata. It is then that you are allowed to replace your time with one of us to rest." She nodded again. "Good, is there anything else worth discussion?" Naruto scanned the room and seeing that none raised a concern he dismissed them.

"Nervous rook?" Kiba asked with a grin.

"It'll be a joyous time we will have together. Morning jogs are the best! It reinvigorates the fountain of our youth from the nights rest and sparks the day for another adventure!" Lee shouted as he pumped his fist in the air.

"I would be lying if I told you I wasn't nervous." She confessed. "But I am excited and ready to face the challenges."

"Good. Hopefully we don't scare you off." Lee said. "Usually the RIC have a program for the youngest prodigies and it is from there that they are weeded out."

"You're lucky though. You didn't have to go through what we went through." Kiba sighed.

"Geez, lucky me." Tenten whispered, her stomach already churning with discomfort. She didn't feel _that_ lucky. She felt underprepared.

"But again!" Kiba kindly reminded her. "We accepted you in here for a reason." And once they were on the floors of their bedrooms, they all said their goodbyes while Kiba had left to do his usual night watch.

Tenten escaped into her room, gladly taking off her leather corset and freeing herself into her nightgown. One made out of lovely material and was a hand-me-down from the Princess. She untightened her buns and allowed her long curly brown hair to cascade down her back before she settled herself into the comforts of her bed. Despite her worry and excitement for tomorrow, she knocked out into a deep and dreamless sleep.

When she opened her eyes, she looked at the sky to see that sun was still asleep. She wondered what time Lee would wake her. Her question was answered by the pounding on her door. Its unexpected arrival jolted her out of her sheets and her quick scampers off her bed caused only tightened the blankets around her. Her quick movements caused her to fall from her bed and onto the ground.

She was glad the fluffy blanket softened her fall. Tenten!" She already knew whom the voice belonged to from the moment he had knocked on her door.

"I'm up!" She shouted back. She was glad that her days as a maid have prepared her for this. She even slept earlier than usual the night before so she had more energy to spare.

"Good!" Lee shouted back. "I shall see you for breakfast in the kitchen." As his footsteps grew silent, she knew she could waste no more time getting ready. She fixed her bed, tied her hair in a ponytail and wore whatever was best for a morning jog.

However, the lack of outfits made that hard and she couldn't wait to spend her dowry in order to buy more armour and weapons. When she finished getting ready, she walked through the 2nd floor hallway and knew that Kiba was back home and fast asleep as was indicated by his loud snores.

When she stepped into the kitchen, a fat brown haired man whom she had caught a glimpse of yesterday night greeted her. "This is Choji." Lee informed her. "The great chef I've told you about."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." She reached out a hand in which he stared at for a few seconds before he accepted it and firmly shook it back. For a moment there, she was unsure if she should pull back since that greeting was known to be reserved for males only, since females always curtsied. "Dinner was wonderful by the way. Thank you for that."

"I'm glad you enjoyed. Your knighting was short noticed so I didn't have enough time to prepare steak or ribs. Feeding close to a thousand and more men is more hard work than you'd imagine." He motioned her to sit down across from Lee on the small table before going back to the oven "Sometimes, it's just nice to be around people you love and cook."

"I figured that's something you do everyday." Tenten commented.

"Not at all." Choji let out a hearty laugh. "I'm so busy managing everything. I hardly cook unless I'm interceding for the few who have messed up."

"A whole kitchen meant to feed a thousand people is a lot of work." Tenten reflected his responsibilities to the head housekeeper and butler who had much to handle in such a large castle.

"Sit, sit." Choji said, pointing at the seat across form Lee.

She noticed that the table was already set with cutlery and once she heard the kettle whistle, Choji swiftly moved from his pan and fixed a drink for them. When he settled their cup of tea, Tenten marvelled at the simple design of a leaf made from the cream he poured in.

"I wish more people would realize how hard it is but I'm thankful that you do - that someone from the legendary Royal Inner Circle understands!" The way he mocked them reflected a lighter side of his usual business façade.

He was back to the pan and tossed the eggs perfectly before settling the fresh and hot food on their plates. What followed quickly was meat and in the corner, he had been preparing hot porridge in a deep pot. He scooped some for Lee and garnished additional fresh cut fruit in them. In the oven, he had some hot bread baking and tossed it all in a basket before placing it in the center.

"Wow." Tenten marvelled, reaching in for the fresh bun. "Thank you so much."

"Haha, no problem." Choji settled in a seat and began to eat, savouring the food in his mouth and getting a feel for each flavour.

"I'm curious." Tenten goes on as she ate in a steady pace, something completely different from Lee who was excited to scarf everything down. "What made you leave the castle? If you ever worked there?"

"I did work there." Choji grinned, recalling the pleasant days he'd serve in a high-class kitchen. "But that was long ago. I craved for more in life and was allowed a leave of absent as I traveled the world for culinary inspiration. I learned a lot about food but most importantly – something was being cultivated in me.

"A yearning grew in me to serve the lesser that could never afford the higher artisan of food but deserved it. This desire sparked a joy in me whenever people kindly housed me when I had nothing to offer them but food. Food is not only a good source of energy and strength. It is both a necessity, medicine for the soul and a garnish on relationships."

"The king must have been hesitant to let you go."

"He was!" There was pride in his eyes at this. "However, my dear old mentor, precious friend and previous royal chef, Jiro, decided to fill in the void while I was away. In that instance, the king no longer had any excuses. Chingwa was a champ I had been mentoring during that time and although he was hesitant in my leave, he grew to enjoy Jiro's teachings.

"When I came back after 2 years, I had stayed in the castle for no longer than a month and had spoke in wanting to do my part for the country by serving the soldiers. The king found this notable but only agreed to let me go once Chingwa would reach a level I approved off. So I taught him as much as I could before I could confidentially leave." By this point, Tenten finished her food and Lee was now eager to go but he remained patient as he listened. No doubt he's heard this story.

Seeing this, Tenten excused herself from Choji. "It was really nice talking to you and I hope I see you around but it looks like we have to go now."

"Certainly! It was nice getting to know who the new member is." After they settled the dishes in the sink, both Lee and Tenten walked out of their home.

Lee began to guide her in warm ups and stretches while explaining to her the importance of preparing the body. She was impressed in his intellectual approach to body awareness and despite his slightly loose tunic; she could see the outline of his strong body that the sun outlined through the thin material.

"Is it alright if I touch you?" Lee asked, catching her off guard. "Not in anyway scandalous but to initiate greater stretches."

"Oh sure." Tenten relaxed as he began to approach her slowly with a serious face. His hesitancy caused Tenten to burst out in laughter. Lee was thankful and he too chuckled as he scratched his face.

"I'm sorry." He apologized. "I'm having a difficult time approaching the situation while still respecting you and the etiquette system."

"Just acknowledge me as one of your buddies." She insisted.

"I continue to apologize but I will not acknowledge you as a fellow guy. Tossing aside such a strong part of who you are would not play well for anyone – you most of all." His serious face made Tenten blush furiously, she hadn't expected such a sincere answer from a guy she considered to be a joker.

"Thanks Lee. I kind of needed that since I've been feeling completely lost in what my role is." Her eyes escaped to the ground, as her body seemed to cave in her thoughts.

She felt herself become small in front of him. It was then; she started to acknowledge a depthless in the honoured warriors that she never understood before. She had only considered them for their brute strength and ability to protect the Kingdom – nothing more.

"We'll learn together and as I said earlier, you being a woman is a strong part of who you are but your identity shouldn't solely be based on your gender."

"Thanks Lee." She eventually had the courage to look back at him and if she didn't know any better, she could have mistaken the blush on his own cheeks as something more.

"Yosh!" He shouted out loud. "Now I'm pumped up." He insisted and began to guide her body into various stretches that were both sore yet relaxing. She had surprised herself that she could even reach that far.

As soon as their 30 minute stretches were complete, he led her into a light jog around the barracks and soon into the heart of the empire where many people were just waking up to prepare for the day ahead.

Many people greeted Lee, so much so that Tenten felt embarrassed to be seen with him as he casually announced that she was the newest member to the RIC. The sight of a woman baffled many, others were encouraged but overall, she'd feel strengthened by their presence despite her body feeling tired already.

He continued to lead her through the forest. At first she was nervous that he'd lead her to the abandoned shack where the Princess and Naruto met but he went the opposite direction. Throughout their run, he explained where some of the escape routes from the castle led.

She was surprised that he was already breaking sweat like she was. Curiosity had led her untamed lips her to ask him why his stamina pared with hers and in response; he sheepishly raised both his arms and legs to reveal his padded weights. Weights that he had increased from 50 pounds to 70. He didn't dwell on the explanation any further which left Tenten stunned as her respect for him increased. Her mind began to wander how fast and strong he truly was.

Eventually, through the cracks of the trees, she began to see the outside and when they finally reached one end of the forest, it was revealed that he had led her to a cliff that overlooked the city and the kingdom.

Although Lee had told her he only brings his close friends to his hidden getaway spot, there was a watchtower not too far from where they were. "Jogging not only refreshes the fountain of our youth but the route through and from refreshes the heart. Seeing the people and the great land, it reminds me why I am part of the Royal Inner Circle. It is my duty to protect and to serve those who make Konohagakure standing with dignity and honour."

She paused and stared out into the majesty of it all. The fading mountains in the background and the lively city below that soon sparked with life as the sun rose from behind the mountains and made it's way up into the sky. They both sat down at the morning dew grass, appreciating their rest and their country. It was only when the sun was high in the sky did Lee inform her that they ought to go.

He turned around, she followed and both made their way back to their home where Naruto was reading in the living room. "You have 30 minutes before our session begins, we'll meet in the basement." He informed her and she was thankful that she even had a break considering that her life as a maidservant in the castle consisted of limited break times between each meal.

She decided to wash up lightly before going into the kitchen to grab a drink and a snack. Lee was also there eating and the two didn't need to exchange words to express how great the morning was.

"Good luck with your next session and I hope you learn a lot." He smiled at her when she was about to exit.

"Where are you off to now?" She asked.

"I'm going to do my various chores around town before continuing my lesson the few prodigies."

"Wow, I thought Naruto and Neji led busy lives but I see you and Kiba do too."

"And you will also, once your training is over. You'll start to get a sense of what you ought to do." He encouraged. "Now I wouldn't want to hold you from your appointment with Naruto."

When the words left his mouth, she realized what he had meant and quickly finished off her goodbye before scurrying off to the basement. She fumbled down the stairs and paused. Naruto was meditating and in doing so his orange aura, that she had seen once, pulsed in correspondence to his breathing. He was so intimate with his space that she felt that her mere presence would disturb him but he eventually chose to break out of it. He opened his eyes and greeted her.

"Although we're friends." He started off. "I want to tell you in advance that our friendship move into a strict discipleship once our session begins." There was a heavy gulp from her end as she witnessed his unchanging calloused face.

"It's Neji's turn to watch over Hinata so you can rest after." He informed. "What did you learn from Lee?" He asked, tossing her a roll of bandages. At first she was confused with what to do with it until she observed Naruto wrapping it around his hands and knuckles methodically. She followed through and had a feeling that Naruto's lessons consisted of sparing.

"Through Lee, I'm beginning to grasp the reality and severity of what it is to be part of the Royal Inner Circle."

"How so?" He pushed on, glancing at her before refocusing on his badnages. He was slightly impressed that she knew the proper folding technique in the bandages considering that he had no idea how to do so when he was first taught by Jiraya – his own mentor.

"Protecting the people and the pride of this country should be the passion that flows through our veins. I'll admit that my passion is nothing in comparison to yours or the rest of the team. I also am starting to understand that the RIC Warriors are not just titled with such simply because of their physical abilities but something more…" She paused as her mind struggled to find the proper word for the abstract thoughts and emotion she had encountered.

"Good." Naruto said and gave her his approval with a sincere smile. "When I was a child, I had joined with the intention of reaping the fame and reward – to see the reactions of those who looked down on me. We both share something Tenten and that is, we both started from the bottom... that's something worth celebrating but don't let it puff up in your head. It's the heart towards the people that bind us together.

"Although our first priority is to protect the King, we do so believing that he is the greatest servant of us all. We believe that his leadership is what leads the people to peace and prosperity. The people are what make the Kingdom and why we try so hard. It should be the main purpose why we try to be a better version of ourselves everyday. Do you understand?"

"I do and I will admit… the fame, the rewards and the riches was something that I looked forward to and… I hate to sound selfish, but I longed to boast to those who looked down on me." From there, a reel of faces went through her thoughts as she remembered those who had abused her and her family.

"It's not a bad thing to have. I mean, we both came from poor backgrounds and I'm sure we both can agree that it feels good to finally have money. Lee also was just an orphan but was adopted by Gai…" Gai was a previous RIC Warrior as well. "Sai too but he ended up getting adopted by the Haruno's at a fairly young age so I don't really count him when I talk about poor pasts." He laughed.

"Well I'm still waiting for my pay." She added lightly. "So technically, I'm still poor."

"Oh actually. While you were having your morning with Lee, the royal courier from the kingdom came to drop off some things. If you don't mind, I let them arrange your room."

"Them?" Tenten asked. She hadn't visited her room since she came back and was now curious as to why they needed lots of people.

"Yumiko came by and had some things sent from Hinata."

"Oh." Tenten's eyebrows rose.

"Yeah, there was a lot of stuff she gifted you with but that's Hinata." He smiled softly as he thought of his loved one, something that he would never do with any other member of his team.

There was so much growth in him (although she never grew up in Konohagakure) she had heard many stories from Hinata how he was very rebellious and the only reason why he'd often get excused from treason was because Iruka-sensei would speak on his behalf.

"Enough chit chat. I'm here to teach you more of the technical aspects to combat… starting off with the basics, hand to hand and close quarter." He grinned, fixing his stance and she too followed in pursuit. Not long after their clash,Naruto wasted no time in testing how far her skills were.

In over a minute, she was down on the ground and even Naruto confessed that he didn't expect her to withstand him for more than a few seconds. What she excelled in was her great speed, agility and awareness of her space and body thus making her movements fluid and seamless. Each round, she stood up longer but as each round went, Naruto would relent in his own skill.

It was sweat breaking work, after a few minutes had gone by in a round that she had lost count of, Naruto snapped and said. "Stop dodging, eventually you'll get more tired than the attacker. Try to get some hits in."

She realized that she had reverted into the defensive state because she hardly could land a punch or kick. He was right. She had exerted the majority of her energy dodging. Out of frustration she bit her lip, let out a growl and started being more aggressive.

"Good." Naruto said at each punch she made even though it missed him. Soon they found their pattern in dance and dodge, both at equal or challenging level. Naruto decided to end it after they both felt their breath grow heavier. "There's still a lot you have to learn. You're better than the prodigies… yet realize that the youngest we are teaching is 8 and the oldest is 14." She frowned as she relaxed her hands on her hips in order to catch her breath.

"Hand to hand is not my speciality." Her breath was laboured and she had to catch them after each word.

"I know." He grinned. "I can tell by the way you move. There are moments where you would flick your wrist after a strike or when you attack farther than you should as if you're carrying a weapon. Don't worry, we'll get there soon enough but it's important to build a stronger foundation. I don't think I need to explain why."

"No, you don't." She shook her head, her eyes wandered to the ground as she thought.

The basic teaching of weapon handling was acknowledging the fact that weapons were merely an extension of you, so if her initial self were stronger without a weapon… she'd be even stronger with one.

"Good, once you've reached a level that I can no longer teach – I shall hand you over to others. You can choose what you want to retain and throw away." There was a slight "tsk" that came from her mouth and Naruto chuckled lightly. He understood how she felt as she reflected his younger self. They both wanted to hurry and master what they were already good at.

"Patience was one of the hardest things I had to learn." He said. "But, now that I know where your skills are, let us start the lesson." Her eyes widened. She thought the lesson had started since she entered.

In the next few hours until lunch, he taught her everything he could in martial arts and taijutsu's. When their lesson ended, they shared a bow.

Once he raised his head, the atmosphere around Naruto lightened as his usual smile appeared on his face. "Just a reminder that it's Neji's turn to keep watch for this week so from lunch between night, you can decide what you'd like to do."

"I have a question." He nodded as a sign that she may continue. "When would I watch guard the King?"

"One day but for now, it's only when Neji and I both deem that you are ready. We can't risk sending you during a sensitive time and so we can't let the enemy see you as an opening." His words slightly stung but he was right. She couldn't deny how weak she was in comparison to the rest. It would be an insult for the RIC to not send their best to the King.

"Anyways Tenten. Go get some rest. You'll need it." They both went to the main floor where they separated ways. Naruto went to the kitchen to get lunch while Tenten escaped in to her room.

When she opened her door she was awestruck. She had forgotten the gifts that Naruto mentioned earlier. Her table was covered in fabric and topped with a doily and a large bouquet in a porcelain vase. She knew it was expensive and in its shadow was a folded card in eloquent cursive, a small chest and a full pouch of gold coins. She decided to look in the card first and knew instantly by the hand writing that it was from Hinata.

 _My dearest friend Tenten_

 _There is so much I desire to write to you… so much I desire to say and my heart springs forth like a fountain of emotions filled with love, excitement and happiness for you. Oh so much that my hand is nearly quivering because I am so proud but along those lines of positive emotions, deep within, I hold unpleasant ones that squeeze my heart._

 _I miss you so much, it has already been a day and this morning I was pleasantly waiting for your greeting until Yumiko walked in and the full realization that you were no longer going to be by my side hit me like a punch in the gut. I assure you that the positive ones outweigh the negative ones and I hope I expressed this clearly with the many gifts._

 _Do not worry for me my dear friend because Yumiko is the sweetest girl. She is bright, thoughtful and knows her duties without my explanation._

 _I do miss your occasional sinister comments that you like to mutter when you believe that I am out of hearing range. Yumiko does none. She's very serious and doesn't jest as often as you do._

 _She does well in fitting me in my clothing; great at make up and holds much dignity in embracing her role as my maidservant! Something you didn't find as an honouring title (until we grew to love one another of course). I hope things are wonderful in the Inner Circle and from what I hear; it can be extremely exhausting but don't forget that we can always enjoy teatime together! (Although I reckon that it won't be a while since Neji-nii-sama and Naruto-sama both need to decide when you earn your rights to fully carry your title._

 _With much love, Prince Hinata Hyuuga of Konohagakure_

Even after she finished reading the letter, Tenten held on little longer as she ran her fingers along the dried ink and heavy quality paper before lightly returning it to the table. She took the time to observe her room once again and she could see the investments in curtains, rugs, new beddings, plants and various books and trinkets lined on her bookshelf.

There was even parchment, a new journal and a fountain pen (only those rich enough could afford such a thing) were carefully rested on her desk. She was almost afraid to approach the closet so she decided to save that for last as she examined the small chest, which housed jewelleries of gold, silver, pearls and precious stones.

She wasn't sure if it was from Hinata or if it was part of her dowry until she saw a very familiar jewel from Hinata's collection that she personally favoured above all: it was a simple necklace that was not as glamorous as all the others but the simple diamond and red rubies were enough to win her heart.

It was then she knew that it truly was from her dearest friend. The other thing on the table was the pouch and it was confirmed that it was her pay since inside was a note that told her $100 of gold coins were inside. That value was already a months worth of wage for her and here she was getting paid a $100 for a week.

She placed the pouch down and turned to heavy wooden closet. With a deep breath, she placed both hands on each handle and let out a large exhale as she prepared herself for another deep breath.

In the count of 3 she opened it and what exploded forth were puffy ballroom gowns – one out of 5 was a dress she wore to the ball. The middle section was filled with versatile dresses and the other side were fashionable tunics and pantaloons that could be worn on missions.

The bottom platform of the closet was lined with shoes: from leather boots to high heels, functional to non-functional. Everything she needed and every thing she never even knew she wanted were all in her wardrobe. "I promise to try you on." She giddily said out loud before she closed the doors.

After inspecting everything new in her room, her mind wandered off to the things she needed: a bath and some rest.

She approached her vanity - a new instalment that came along Hinata's galore of gifts. On top of it were lined with different ointments, lotions, cosmetics and other accessories to help her appearance. She gathered some bath mixtures before traveling into her own private wash area, which she was thoroughly grateful for (specially now). It was not as extravagant as Hinata's bathroom, a literal room of marble and pillars that simply had one purpose: to house a bathtub.

When she entered her washroom, she was surprised that Hinata extended her gifts in the washroom with more bottles, towels, robes and other small necessities. She decided to prepare the water before exploring the small trinkets: some new invented powder for the teeth and the accompanied toothbrush, hair and products plus more.

She was eagerly tossing scents into the running water, lighting some candles before dunking her naked and sore body in the warm bath. Instantly, her muscles loosened and she could feel her body succumb to the fatigue it had been restraining. It was a luxury that Hinata enjoyed often but something that Tenten could now enjoy too.

Before she completely surrendered to the rest her body demanded, she scrubbed her body clean. She wasn't sure how long she nodded off in there. Perhaps it was an hour before the slight breeze and the discomfort of the lukewarm water awakened her.

It encouraged her to continue the rest in her cozy bed. She had no objections in doing this; she just had to get over her initial stage of laziness. After she dried her body, changed and cleaned the washroom, she tucked herself in the enveloping warmth of her bed and she knocked into deep sleep.

When she awakened, the slight headache from the lack of rest was no longer. A smile crept on her face as she stretched (still snuggled inside the thick blankets) and from there she could see through the window that it had gotten dark. the sun had just started to set.

She remained unmoved as she blankly stared at her ceiling until she realized she was hungry. It didn't take her long to decide whether to stay in bed or leave. Besides it would be a great excuse to try on a new dress.

On her way down to the exit of the house, she could get a peek of Kiba who was sitting in the living room while reading the newspaper. In his other hand was a mug that steam escaped from. He glanced at her to acknowledge her presence but hadn't expected her feminine attire so he was taken aback.

"Rook! That's a fine dress you have on! I can't imagine you finding the time to go shopping considering your schedule thus far has been filled…" He commented while Akamaru who had been resting also raised his lazy head to stare at the woman.

"It was gifted to me from the princess." She smiled.

"Ah, yes. Hinata also dropped a present off for me too. Did you know she's a good friend of mine?"

"Oh?" Tenten asked curiously.

"Yes. As children, we both – along with Shino, had the opportunity to be mentored by Kurenai for a short period until her father pulled her out of the mentorship." Tenten leaned against the entrance of the living room to show her engagement.

This was another side of Hinata that she hadn't known and only knew of their weekly – if not – monthly tea sessions. However, during those moments, she would often be dismissed considering she was no longer needed after handing the tea and assortments. Therefore, she never really knew Kiba or Shino well except for the few moments they had landed eyes.

"Shino and I were both surprised in the first place that Hinata had blessed us with her presence. Apparently, Hinata was originally supposed to be mentored by Iruka, the best of the best, but during then, Iruka had been preoccupied with Naruto so out of recommendation she had been transferred to us for a few months." He smiled as he recalled those memories and he settled the newspaper and mug down on the table before sitting comfortably on the couch.

"May I ask why her father pulled her out?" Kiba's pleasant memories turned negatively as he frowned.

"I trust that you won't report me for treason considering you're Hinata's accomplice in her own hidden relationship." Tenten's eyes widened and she found herself shaking with worry. "Don't worry. Hinata's the one who exposed it to us and we all consider ourselves family. One thing Shino and I can't deny is our deep love for the princess."

"Does Naruto know you know?"

"Not at all." Kiba answered. "It's kind of fun but I'm also glad that someone else besides Shino and I know. But back on track, I never did like her father but I won't deny his effective ruling. He is harsh but he knows how to take care of an entire country. He believed that Kurenai was too soft on Hinata since Kurenai felt that she needed to be the motherly figure that Hinata had lost a long time ago. May the late Queen rest in peace."

"That's cruel." Tenten bit her lip. She also knew of King Hiyashi's cruel neglect towards Hinata and his tough love.

"Yeah well, by then, we all made it our goal to protect her… So, now that you know, don't be afraid to open to us as well."

"Why are you so forward with me?" She asked softly, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the bulldozer of information.

"I never knew how sincere your relationship was with Hinata until I inspected all your stuff and read her letter to you." Tenten puffed up at the thought of him invading her privacy. "I know it's uncalled for but as I expressed before I love Hinata and I'll do anything to protect her. Now that I know you're on her side, I figured I should come clean about everything." She sighed.

"Fair enough."

"Alright, now go ahead and continue on with your evening. Just remember that your session with me starts later tonight and wear something appropriate. You wouldn't want to soil your dress."

"Yes." She smiled. "I shall see you tonight."

As she walked across the barracks to get to the cafeteria, she could feel the eyes of men follow her way. Most were stunned to find that it was Tenten while others welcomed the presence of a woman.

They were respectful of her, perhaps not as a RIC Warrior completely but as someone who had rescued the princesses from the ambush. After all, still had much to prove and this was clearly shown with her sessions so far with each member. Along her way, she saw see Lee doing a handstand push up in front of a group of 7 kids who followed along with normal push-ups.

When he noticed her, he jumped up and told the class to continue as he motioned Tenten to come. "You've dressed finely for this evening." He told her casually before leading her in front of the children. She had a feeling she knew exactly who they were. "Hey youth, this is Tenten. The new member of the Royal Inner Circle."

They all looked up to stare at her and they all had different expressions but one thing was certain: they were tired and exhausted from the unspeakable amount of physical activity they had and will continue to do. The oldest of the group, swept himself up in a single move– followed by the rest, as they all stood and bowed to her. She blushed, mesmerised by their clear follow through and slightly embarrassed that her skill was only slightly better than theirs.

"Continue to do your best!" She began, finding the need to acknowledge them in some way. "And I shall do my best in protecting the kingdom, which includes you also. So when you are all honoured with such a position, I hope you also do your best in protecting the Kingdom once I'm old." When she finished, she bowed lowly.

There was a pause in the air as they were stunned by her humility.

However the silence didn't last long as it was broken by Lee's loud laughter and was soon paired up with light laughter from the rest. The woman quickly stood tall again but this time, with her reddened cheeks, she reflected their smiles.

"Thanks for your visit Tenten." Lee said.

"Thank you sensei." All the children spoke in unison, directing it towards Tenten. No longer were their faces still but rather, it made her feel good to see that they welcomed the lightness of the situation. After all, she was a firm believer in enjoying childhood since she herself never had a good one.

"I shall excuse myself from disturbing you any further."

"Not at all. It was good seeing you." Lee said before they all wished her a pleasant leave. She eventually made it to the cafeteria, which was a drastic change from last night's lively welcome. There were rows of empty tables that made the place appear bigger and some that were occasionally filled or occupied by men reading or playing cards. They all greeted her by bowing their head as she approached a group of them to ask where Choji was.

"Ah, chef's busy in the kitchen prepping for dinner." One man said.

"Thanks." She left them and could hear their concern.

"Uhm, not sure if you're allowed in there…" He shouted but wearily stopped as he recognized that Choji always did have a special friendship with the RIC.

She walked through the double doors and was greeted by an explosion of fast paced action of chefs working with high fire, tosses of liquids in pans and cutting. They were so preoccupied that they failed to notice her and would even walk by her with rude "out of the way" or "incoming" as they dodged her. Somewhere on the side was Choji, leaning against a counter as he enjoyed a small bowl of soup. She approached him casually and he was quite surprised to see her.

"What are you doing here? I don't think anyone has told you that it's forbidden, especially when we're prepping, for anyone to be here unless you're staff or me." He was so serious in his words that it readied Tenten to leave but he laughed and said "Friends are always welcome. So what brings you here?"

"I was hoping for some food actually. I missed-"

"lunch." He joined in finishing her sentence. "I noticed and also, another rule. If you miss the schedule too bad." But again, he laughed. "but I understand. You must have been exhausted after everything."

"I can't deny that. My entire body feels weak and I'm expecting a tidal wave of aching tomorrow."

"Good luck then." Choji snickered.

"So is that your dinner?" She asked, looking curiously at the delicious bowl of soup to which Choji let out a hearty laugh.

"Dinner? No, this is my meal before dinner." She didn't know how to respond after that but at she had come to understand why he was so big.

She had observed his food for breakfast and thought that his meals were properly proportion but now, knowing that he has full meals in between seemed to solve the question she had.

"Oh right, shall I pour you a bowl?"

"Yes please." She answered with the biggest smile and most genuine expression to which he left for a bit to grab a bowl. "Thank you!" She stared into the colourful liquid before digging in.

"I hope that doesn't spoil your appetite for dinner."

"It might but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make now." She managed to mumble out despite her mouth being filled with noodles.

"Well, you can always just sleep on it and wake up to breakfast."

"Ah, no. I've got my a session with Kiba all night."

"Oh. Well, I usually pack Kiba and the dogs some left over food. If you ever get hungry, just ask him about it. He's got the keys to the cabinet."

"Thanks."

"And I'm guessing you had time to rest because it's Neji's week to be by King's side?"

"Yes."

"If you're ever willing, I can teach you basic survival skills on fire making, food and water conservation for moments when you're stranded or camping out in the forest."

"That would be wonderful. When can we start?"

"Let's start tomorrow, be sure to meet me in front of the cafeteria an hour after lunch." And from then on, the two lightly chatted about the events of their day. So much so that despite finishing her food, Tenten was glad to keep Choji company during their distribution of dinner. When the end of dinner neared, he insisted that she ought to leave to prepare for her first night with Kiba.

She had managed to run into Naruto, Neji and Kiba who were having a civil chat in the living room and passed Lee's room that clearly occupied a sleeping lad who had retreated for his usual early rest. Once she had changed, she went down to see that Kiba was exchanging his goodbyes to his friends as Akamaru was clearly seen waiting outside through the open door. "Ready rook?" She nodded, not sure what to expect but she was as ready as she could be.

When they stepped outside of the house, it was completely dark except for underlining tints of dark blue that the moon managed to illuminate. Other than that, relying on sight was completely useless since she could not see anything beyond a meter over her. This resulted in her closeness with Kiba and she wondered how he knew where to go since he was so confident in his steps.

"How's it going back there Rook?" She could almost envision his teasing grin since it was obvious she was struggling to map her way.

"Awful. I can't see a thing."

"And that's my lesson for you. Don't rely on sight. Everyone depends on it to the point were they are devastatingly crippled once it is taken away from them. On the battlefield, a simple swat to the eyes with a handful of sand or a blinded torture can cloud your judgement and increase your anxiety. We all know that feeling nervous for a battle is never a good thing."

As he spoke, she began to realize what he was talking about. The simple act of utilizing her other senses went a long way. So she focused on hearing his voice, his footsteps, the quiet yet present pants of Akamaru until she felt confident in her surroundings.

"Be aware, focus on your hearing, your smells, your touch. Just by the slight movements of the wind and it's reaction to walls – it's almost as if your brain can map out what is present and what isn't."

"I think I get it." Her body began to relax and soon, her walking was equally paced, as she felt comfortable keeping a small distance from Kiba.

"Good, now let's start jogging." The entire night, Kiba was not shy to express how funny he found her falls and trips to be but he also was surprised by how calm she stayed when he decided to leave her in one the darkest area's near the castle ground.

She utilized everything that she learned and soon found her way back to Kiba and he decided to reward her with an early midnight snack that Choji had mentioned to her earlier before. After this, he figured she had enough to learn (she was covered in a decent amount of scrapes and bruises) and she gladly retreated back to her room.

Not long, she was asleep.

When she wakened from her dream filled slumber (dreams of training mainly), she was surprised at how peaceful it was. No one had banged on her door demanding for her to rise, something that she had expected from Lee. In realizing this, she sat up and looked out her window to also see that the sun was already a decent height in the sky.

She fumbled out of bed, doing her morning routine as quickly as she could before running through 2 flights of steps. She almost fell due to how weak her entire body felt and could see Naruto going over notes in the living room. "Where is Lee?" She asked, unsure of how to respond if Naruto were to snap at her. She couldn't imagine him doing so as a friend but as a teacher, it was completely plausible.

"Today's your rest day." He informed with a grin. "We all expect your body to be sore so take this day and enjoy it. Lunch is around the corner." She stepped back and released a sigh. He was right, at her current state, she was useless. "Pushing yourself isn't good either so try to find low-energy activities. Alright Rookie?" He chuckled as he pulled out her new nickname.

"Yes sensei!" She teased back and he responded in more laughter before they both paid attention to their own space.

Tenten slowly made her way up the stairs and decided to be a turtle in her room until lunch. She used that time to journal and was horrified yet unsurprised by how ugly her writing was since she hadn't touched a quill in over 5 years.

After lunch, she had met up with Choji and like he promised, he taught her everything he knew in outdoor survival (although most of it were about studying the plants of what is and isn't edible) she deemed it to be the most important lesson.

As expected the day wasn't as action filled as yesterday but it still had gone by fairly quickly until she found herself being awakened early by Lee the next day. She was still sore but not as bad as yesterday and Lee, Naruto and Kiba weren't as harsh in their lessons as the first day.

Soon, the week had gone by and the second week came.

This time, she was nervous now that it was Lee's turn to watch over the king, which meant she was now going to encounter Neji. Although Lee was not there to wake her up, she woke up on her own terms to jog and do strength training before going off to see Naruto who informed her that the week after this one he'd be watching the king. But he promised that he wouldn't leave her without a lesson so he had already arranged everything with Sakura Haruno.

Great, she was excited to meet her again but she just had to survive with Neji who was unsurprisingly rude and harsh.

She had agreed to meet up with him in a clearing in the forest and when she arrived, after getting lost for a few solid minutes since she couldn't read a map properly, she found him meditating. He asked her what she had learned and never gave a proper respond to her 'straight to the point' report. She was direct and avoided the details.

Around him, she was always on edge.

Once she finished her report, he stood and charged at her without any warning. Seeing this, Tenten had bent back as she felt the wind slap her race, as his hand was that close to landing a blow to her. "Holy crap, you deliberately tried to hit me!" She squealed, pushed arms up to carry her into the air and executed an elegant landing. This time she was prepared and posed in an offensive stance.

Neji remain silent throughout and continued attacking her.

She was confused. She couldn't understand what it was that she was supposed to learn or what her objective was but she sensed that he wasn't going to stop unless one of them was seriously injured. Yet she wouldn't allow her confusion to distract her from this battle.

She analyzed the situation and knew that she could not par up to his skill and strength, she had to use something else… and quick. She felt a crippling jab against her arm and instantly it almost threw her into stillness as she felt her arm dangle uselessly. If it weren't for her training, she would have stayed too long thinking about her wound rather than thinking ahead so before Neji could land another blow, she retreated into the heights of the trees.

It was incredibly creepy how the man would move in a circle as if he were trying to scan for her location with his glass like eyes. She chose to play it safe and stuck to his side encase his eyes could magically see through objects but again – as Naruto warned her in her first lesson: you can't always stay in defense.

She didn't know what to do exactly but she grabbed a few rocks (any form of weapon she could find) and aimed them perfectly at Neji's forehead. This seemed to blind him long enough for her to grab a big branch and swing at him. She hit him hard on his sides by his ribs and she quickly followed up with a long swing so her leg would land behind his knees forcing him to buckle onto the ground.

She smiled widely, surprised and ecstatic that she had just beat Neji Hyuuga and as unbelieving as it was, the fallen Neji disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Good job." His low voice was heard from behind. She wiped around and went back into her offensive pose but upon seeing him relaxed caused her to relax as well. "Your skills match that of a graduated prodigy. You were observant, your analysis of the situation was accurate and your follow through went accordingly.

Being a RIC doesn't mean everything relies on your muscles. Instead, your brain is equally important, if not more. I'm glad that when you first began these sessions, it was my round to take care of His Majesty." His smirk caught her nerve but she couldn't respond with anything witty since he was right.

From just one week, she could see her improvement. She couldn't imagine the heaping pile of insults coming her way if he had to grade her skill in the first week.

"How did you do that?" She asked, tossing aside the could-haves and focused on the present. "That wasn't another actor? A twin that had vanished right?"

"It wasn't. It was a clone."

"How can that be?" He folded his arms as a smirk slowly emerged on face.

"I shall be teaching you the ancient art and mystery of chakra control."

"Chakra control?" She whispered and racked in her brain if she had heard of anything such as that but nothing came to mind.

"It has been a power that our long ancestors have possessed. Unfortunately with the evolution of growing weaponry and technology, our bodies have slowly allowed the chakra to be locked away… essentially – depending on how you look at it, we have devolved." He began to walk closer towards her. "Or so goes the legend… otherwise, why do we all have the ability to tap into it? Why are some stronger than others? There are still mysteries to be solved surrounding it but much manuscripts concerning chakra have been sealed or burned."

"Is it a requirement for the RIC to have?"

"Through some shape and form, yes." This must have explained the aura around Naruto, the rumours about Neji's eyes and the legends about the magical abilities they possess on the battlefield – vanishing acts, supernatural speed, strength and abilities. "But as I said before. Not everyone from the RIC are able to wield their chakra's as easily as others. Lee for instance hardly has any but he makes up for it by working harder and disciplining his body more than anyone. The same goes for his mentor Gai." There was a pause as this encouraged Tenten to take a confident step forward in discovering what her hidden power can be or can't be.

"How do you go about… unlocking such a thing?" She asked. Her eyes burned with determination and dedication.

"That… we're not certain how exactly that can be done. Each person's can be unlocked at different paces. Naruto's was sealed until he was gifted with a crystal from Jiraya – another former member of the RIC. Another was that Lee had to go through a acupuncture and painful muscle massages."

"I'm ready to do whatever it takes."

"Good." Those words shocked her. It was the first positive thing he had said to her.

123

She wasn't sure what she had expected but Neji was brutal in his methods. At first they meditated but after an hour had passed with no results, which mainly riled up a vexed Tenten, she had insisted they try something else.

Neji happily obliged.

Thus ensued a painful procedure where he would massage points of her, it felt as if he were digging and punching through her skin. She held back the grunts and screams until she felt a rushing liquid come out of her mouth. She looked at the ground to find that it was stained with dark red liquid. "Oh my god. Please don't tell me that's blood."

"That's blood." He said, standing from his kneeled position. "Do you want to call it a day?" He asked.

"Is this normal?!" She questioned.

"Yes. These are expected."

"They are?" She shouted in disbelief and it took her long seconds before agreeing to continue. After all, she was certain these injuries are nothing in comparison to what she will later face eventually.

She waited for him to further prod his fingers until the minutes passed and there was none. She arced her head back and snapped at him. "What are you waiting for?! Go!" After countless tries, Neji deemed that they she had enough when Tenten started to loose consciousness.

She tried to sit up only to find her entire body shake and fail to carry her up. As she expected to land on the small puddle of blood beneath her, Neji caught her shoulders with one strong arm.

"You're paralyzed." He stated, easily turning her around and picked her up. Usually he'd toss the men over his shoulder but even he knew how to be a gentleman.

"You're glad I'm paralyzed, otherwise I would smack you rh-ygh a-t-woss…" She slowly stopped, as she grew terrified as she lost control of her tongue that eventually lay limp in her mouth.

A genuine laugh escaped Neji's lips and she could not help but blush at how rare, honest and handsome he looked at that moment. If only she had the ability to turn away and pout, she would. Her arms that had been tossed onto her stomach soon slid over and lay dangling, it wasn't long until her neck had weakened thus causing her head to lull back into an uncomfortable position. Seeing this, Neji picked her up higher and allowed Tenten's head to naturally fall onto his broad shoulder.

"Don't be scared. I'm here." He comforted in a cool and calm voice. At first she wondered why he coddled her until she began to loose her vision. A rush of black swept from the bottom top followed by a strong force of sensation that pressed against her head and knocked her out cold.

123

The next day had come and despite it being afternoon already, Tenten was still paralyzed in bed. In the morning she found that she can move her eyes but not anything below, then soon her mouth and neck followed after that her shoulders and so forth.

By afternoon, her legs rendered useless and she found it incredibly endearing that during mealtimes, each member of RIC visited her.

Naruto offered to feed her breakfast. She felt incredibly odd and he constantly joked about how he'd have to tell this to Hinata. Tenten couldn't keep her grumbling for too long as she joined him in quick laughter.

Beneath her discomfort, she was excited to explore the potential of her body. She felt stronger, faster, more in control of her body and for once she felt like she was in the right place.

When it was lunch, Kiba had woken up and offered to feed her as well. His visit was also commendable as he tried to make her laugh with his memories of the past, his early days of being a prodigy and the unspeakable difficulties of being a RIC.

Unfortunately, Neji came in to interrupt their friendly conversation when he informed the both of them that it was now time for his lesson to begin. "What more can you do to me? I still can't feel my torso down…" She grumbled jokingly. He didn't laugh and seeing this made her feel uncomfortable once again. She wished she could see his smile, she knew it was there _somewhere_.

"I can see that you're recovering well… I can see small grains of possible chakra crystal's opening up in your bloodstream." She was taken aback at the fact that he can see through her clothes, her skin and into her inner structure.

Although it should be something to be amazed by, she first thought it to be creepy as she felt herself become vulnerable under him. The veins by his eyes didn't help ease her discomfort either. "For others it can take years to unleash the hidden chakra."

"So we're doing this for the small chance that I might have chakra?" She looked away as she felt a weight in chest. Her throat tightened and her eyes began to sting with incoming tears. Neji did not say a word for a few long minutes.

"Every warrior must go through this. Will you quit now? You've improved and gotten much better from what I've seen."

"Do the prodigies know about this?"

"They have an idea of the sacrifices, the harsh disciplines they will have to go through but no, they have no idea what chakra is. We cannot afford to have this information leaked to the enemy."

"I understand. It's all for the sake of the kingdom right?" Their mutual silence meant they finally agreed on something. "Well, let's get it over with. Do you plan on doing any more painful procedures?

"Not exactly. Acupuncture is painless and while I do this, I shall teach you all I know about chakra." At first he had instructed her to lay on her stomach naked. She was hesitant but eventually agreed. After all, if he could see her veins pumping blood, no doubt he could see her naked form behind the clothes.

Neji was professional about everything; from the way he rearranged her body and how he gently wrapped a cloth over her exposed bottom. The way he handled her was gentle compared to yesterday and he was right when he had expressed earlier that the needles didn't hurt. It was odd how his low voice calmed Tenten. It eased her pain as he talked about something he genuinely cared about and she confessed that his presence was comforting.

Soon she fell asleep.

Much after that, training had become routine yet there was always a sense of adventure to each session. She was frustrated with the chakra process but she never gave up and soon the next week came and she was now taking the time she originally had with Naruto to spend it with Sakura.

Tenten hadn't expected the business-minded noblewoman to pack such a punch. In fact, she had lowered her guard around her until she realized what Sakura was truly capable of. She understood why Naruto had entrusted Tenten to her. It forced Tenten to be tactile in her defense because choosing to block an attack from Sakura would be choosing death.

She learned a lot about the Sakura: her company, the reasons behind her hidden identity and her relationship to Naruto and Sai. All these conversations were held during their afternoon lunch in which the Haruno's kindly hosted and insisted for her stay since she was already there. They felt that there was no need to run back to the grounds to get food.

She was glad to make a genuine friend who was another woman – a woman that was so strong. In fact, Sakura was so strong that Tenten wondered if Sakura has been practising chakra control but Tenten did not want to risk a leak of information so she always held back.

However, one friend that she did not have to hold back on was Lee.

Since it was Naruto's week to watch over the king, this meant that Lee was back and she enjoyed their talks as they jogged. She was even introduced to using weights. He was someone that could relate to her in this entire chakra soul-searching episode of her life and he eased her anxiety with many jokes and reassurances.

There was a pattern in her days during training, as her body would go through brokenness, only to be forged into something stronger. The last week before their scheduled trip to Kumogakure was notably different from the previous month as she noticed that her colleagues no longer had enough time for her.

Lee focused on gathering the VIP's for the ship, Naruto was preoccupied with consulting the other country and Neji had been assembling the elders and soothing their pains. In the mean time Kiba was preparing his canine army with the help of Shino to build a strong defense and offense for the absence of the RIC.

If it had been a week ago, Tenten would have been lost and useless but now she had grown to be independent as she found her place among the town's people, the crewmembers and even covered some teaching sessions for the prodigies.

One by one, she was learning about who she was, what her role was and what she could do. She wrote often in her journal, recording as much as she could. Suddenly, now that she had control of her life, she chose to live each day at it's fullest.

The days went by quickly and eventually she realized that tomorrow was the day they would set sail for Kumogakure – the kingdom once ruled by the proud Uchiha's.

123456

THE EDITED VERSION

: ) My life is busy! enjoy : )


	4. Chapter Three: Divulge

Chapter Three: Divulge

Adrenaline and excitement poured into Tenten's veins as her thoughts ran wild of what the situation could be up in Kumogakure. She had read the reports on the country and the analysis of the massacre: top-secret information reserved only for the highest position in the military and the King.

There were first hand accounts of the brutality and as if the reports weren't stomach churning enough, the sketches amplified the situation. Obviously they had cleaned up and she was certain she wouldn't see any dead bodies if she strolled around the castle grounds but aside from that – the reports were mere descriptions.

Nothing more.

There were no leads, no traces.

There was nobody that they could follow up on and these things were what kept Tenten's brain awake.

In the end, it worked for the best since the RIC were supposed to wake up by 4 o'clock to travel down to the ports. Some of them were already awake like Kiba and Naruto for instance. So after an hour of shuffling pointlessly in her bed and being trapped within her thoughts, she decided to do something.

Her idea of a good relaxation was drinking hot water but now that she was in a privileged home, she was excited to look around for tealeaves. When she passed the second floor, she could hear Lee's faint snores through the door and she was genuinely glad that he was enjoying his much needed sleep.

After arriving at the first floor, she was surprised to see the dim flickers of a candle shone from the kitchen.

Someone was there.

She peered into the kitchen and from the faint light of the candle in the centre of the small table she could see the defined features of the face that belonged to Neji. His pearl eyes looked up from his cup as he watched her stand by the entrance. "You're allowed to come in." He stated plainly and she does, slowly and cautiously.

"It looked like you wanted some alone time, I didn't want to disturb you." She responded and went on to grab a cup from the cupboards.

"I could use some company." He said and looked back at his own mug. She took this as an invitation to sit across from him. Beside the candle was a kettle with steam pouring out of its hole. Without any other words, Neji grabbed the kettle and poured the hot water into Tenten's mug.

It surprised her.

He was serving her.

"Thank you." She managed to mumble out as she took a sip. Once the liquid hit her tongue, she realized that it wasn't water. "Did you brew this yourself?" She asked and he just nodded.

"It's not something I publically declare but I enjoy tea brewing."

"So all those tea sessions we had during meditation… those were from you?"

"Well yes." He chuckled softly. "Where else did you think I got them from?"

"From Choji." She confessed, laughing softly before taking another sip.

"Ah, although he's an amazing chef. His teas are mediocre compared to my brews. Not that I'd bother boasting about it."

"Sure sounds like a boast to me." She teased. There was a pause as both parties appreciated the stillness of the night, the presence of company and the taste of calming herbs. "May I ask you something?" Tenten was the first to break the silence and Neji simply ushered her to speak with a small grunt and a subtle nod. "Now that I know you're a tea-type of guy. It seems to me that you'd also be into interior decorating unless this place was actually decorated from a professional."

There was another chuckle from his end - a record breaking moment since he never laughed two times in a row within an hour.

"Perhaps I've placed some input in the Feng Shui but no. This place was put together by those who came before us and Shino who has an odd keen of style when it comes to environmental design…"

"There's a lot I'm learning."

"I just enjoy clean spaces. So if you ever mistake me for rearranging something, I am simply tidying up."

"I'm surprised you'd be so willing to swoop down into a low position of cleaning."

"Don't think too much of it. The level of my generosity does not extend too far from my room and I do not put my best foot forward when I am cleaning the house. It's far better for us to do it ourselves rather than sending a servant from the outside to come in. That would be opening up many risk if that were to happen."

"So I'm guessing your room's really tidy?"

"I guess you could say that. The truth is, it looks clean because it's practically empty."

"Empty?"

"I'm not a sentimental person. I find that there is nothing worth keeping around."

"Not even journals?"

"I prefer not to. My thoughts need to stay where they are: in my head."

"I wonder what your thoughts are like." She murmured.

Neji heard her and he kept his surprise subtle behind his mug. He chose not to respond. Again, there was another moment of comfortable silence and it was there that Tenten appreciated the development of their friendship – the fact that she would even consider him a friend was something she would never imagine a few weeks ago.

She sighed in content at the perfection of the moment and it relaxed her mind for the next few hours that were to come by.

"I'd never imagine that this would be your idea of relaxation." Neji spoke and caught the attention of the other who looked up curiously. "I figured you're nervous for the day ahead and I imagine that a woman with your personality would enjoy sparing as an option of calming ones self."

Tenten laughed.

"I think you're right Hyuuga!" She grinned. "Being a RIC warrior has helped me discover who I am. I really do like physical training. The Tenten today would certainly enjoy a spar but right now, I feel quite reminiscent of my days as a servant… Teatimes were often the only time I got to rest and collect my thoughts."

"Why don't we spar right now?" He asked her. She raised an eyebrow at this. "Don't worry, I don't plan on bruising you." He smirked. Flustered and surprised at his shift of attitude towards her, she remained still and wide-eyed.

Neji rose, and took their empty dishes and placed them in the sink. "I also would appreciate a good spar. Come hither." And without question, Tenten's body followed obediently as he led her to the basement.

That night, under the half moon just before their trip to Kumogakure, the two engaged in a light battle. There were no words shared between them since but they both knew that they appreciated and enjoyed their dance of fists and kicks.

She had to admit, they were fluid like the time they had first shared a dance.

Once Neji and Tenten were mildly exhausted, they both went on to their own rooms to prepare for the day. By that time, Lee was already awake and even stumbled upon their light conversation when they reunited.

"Good morning." Lee grumbled out with a yawn to which the two pleasantly greeted back. In a few minutes, the three members waited by the front door where Naruto was leaning against the steps, nodding off due to exhaustion.

Kiba, Akamaru and Shino were also there but chose not to bother the sleeping leader. When they saw that the three were make their way out, Kiba's eyes lit up as he grinned. "I wanted to say goodbye to you guys. I wish you the very best." He shook all their hands.

Naruto awakened from their enthusiastic greetings. Once he was awake, he grabbed Tenten's satchel and threw it on his brown horse. Unlike the rest who saw this as Naruto acting as a gentleman, she knew that he probably had things to tell her.

There were two other horses. A white one belonging to Neji and the black one belonged to Lee. Kiba was the only one in the group that actively decided against owning a horse since he had Akamaru. Tenten still had to wait and train before owning one.

Once the four were settled on their horses, Tenten behind Naruto, they said their final goodbyes to Kiba, Shino and Akamaru before riding away to where they would set sail: Haruno Port. It was a place that the RIC grew to acquaint themselves in the past week.

"Hinata told me to watch over you." Naruto told her, knowing well that they were in front of the group so they would not be heard. "She warned me that she'd hit me if I failed to do so… but she couldn't hold her serious face any longer before pouting and apologized for threatening me."

"How are you still able to meet if no one is escorting Hinata to you?" Tenten wondered.

"Actually, Yumiko is doing a fine job of escorting her. I'm starting to think that Shino might know about our relationship…" Tenten felt a slight tinge of jealousy but she was also glad that Hinata was able to rely on her. It was best that the two lovers could still meet.

"That's good." Tenten mumbled.

"Ah, don't be jealous Tenten. Hinata loves you more than you know." Eventually they traveled down the slopping path towards the land under a cliff. There they could see the majestic ships lined up and ready for docking even in the faint collection of torchlight.

The Haruno port was as busy as the past days but more organized as it readied for it's leave. The private property owned by the Trading Corps was surrounded and watched over by soldiers who were guiding a few dogs around to do last minute check ups on the 5 ships that were meant to leave by morning light.

There was the main vessel _: Victory_ , a 4-floor interior that housed many scholars who were commissioned to build up Kumogakure.

 _Victory_ was led by a smaller boat – agile and was meant to be kept at the front at all times while the remaining three medium war ships that surrounded _Victory_ housed the army.

On the bow of _Victory_ , Tenten could see that the small figure of Minako: Sakura's godfather and the right hand man of the entire Trading Corps. Although he was the main person to orchestrate and to be the ambassador for the Haruno clan, Tenten knew that Sakura was not far from the plans and counsels.

She could see Sakura's smaller frame beside him but her body was draped with a heavy cloak. The only thing that made her disguisable from the others was her tuff of pink hair spilling from her hood.

Once the RIC was close enough, they jumped off their horses to collect their satchels and handed their horses to the attendants waiting for them. Most of their things were already loaded on board.

They traveled up the ramp that led them to the front of _Victory_ where they were greeted by Minako and Sakura. There was a short moment of friendly chatter before Minako went straight into business. He reminded them where they were stationed to be.

Naruto would be on the front military vessel. Lee would be on the ship watching the rear of _Victory_. Neji and Tenten were sent to stay on _Victory._ Neji was supposed to take care of the Hyuuga elders while Tenten was personally asked to be Sakura's bodyguard.

She knew that Sakura was fully capable of defending herself but the heiress had an imagine to keep which was being a delicate and fragile flower.

"Since we leave in an hour, let us enjoy breakfast before we all leave." Minako insisted as he led them to his own private quarters. It was big enough to be claimed as a small apartment.

The room was adorned with fancy fabrics of fine linen and gold tresses, a comfortable sized bed and a mass of overly decorated furniture displayed the high level of craftsmanship. After they gathered around the heavy dining table, Tenten was surprised to see Minako talk into a cone. A few minutes later, servants came with food as if they knew exactly what he was requesting for.

"How'd they know when to come?" Lee asked and glanced around to see if there was any way for them to have spied. In response to that, Minako and Sakura both joined in a light chuckle.

"It's a telephone. Somehow the information get's relayed through this wire and into another area." Minako explained. "The magic of electricity."

"Ah, I've heard a lot about this electricity… but so far only those adventurous are willing to invest in such a thing." Lee commented back. "I hear that by a switch, light more powerful than a candle can illuminate a room."

"Yes, it is possible and very useful. However, electricity is very expensive to maintain and can be unreliable at times. Light bulbs only last for a few hours and my father refuses to spend more money on it unless it is able to adequately go on for at least a day." Sakura further explained.

Tenten did remember seeing light bulbs occasionally in the Haruno household when she was there. As a matter of fact, she remembered seeing a lot of technologically advanced items there: an automobile, a telephone, a loud door chimer and so forth.

As her thoughts wandered, she reeled them back in as she listened to the current conversation topic. Not long after, an hour passed which meant that it was time for Naruto and Lee to leave.

Naruto and Sakura bade each other a farewell with a long hug and a gentle kiss on each other's cheek while Lee laid a kiss on her hand. Tenten stifled her giggle upon seeing Sakura become uncomfortable by Lee's informality.

When the others were gone, Neji and Minako excused themselves in order to attend their own businesses while Sakura led Tenten to their shared quarters. It was almost as impressive as Minako's room but it was notably smaller. Despite the smaller size, the furniture was still over decorative and the bed was far bigger than necessary but it worked in their favour since they were to share it.

Sakura was the first to enjoy its comfort with a stomach dive before she turned over and stared at Tenten.

"So I'm supposed to watch you?" Tenten asked.

"Essentially." Sakura responded.

"But we both know you don't really need one." There was a pause before Tenten decided to sit beside her.

"My father was the one who requested for you."

"I highly doubt I'm qualified for such a thing, after all, you're the one who trained me." Sakura laughed at Tenten's comment.

"You've gotten better at a ridiculously fast rate. Besides, we specialize in different things. I like hand-to-hand combat whereas you like weapon handling."

"Well you'll be glad to know that no one has taught me anything in respect to weapons. It's only been taijutsu so far." Sakura glanced at her friend with a raised eyebrow to suggest her unbelief.

Tenten nodded.

"It must be because they're busy arranging everything."

"I figured as much. That is why I dedicated my free time to refining my skills in weaponry. A dagger is the first and easiest thing to master." In a swift flick of her wrist, she pulled out the small blade, spun it in the air before catching it by the handle with ease.

"Despite the lack of lessons I'm receiving in weaponry, I will humbly admit that the lessons Naruto provided have helped me improved overall." After twirling the dagger within her hand, she shoved it back it it's sabre. "I guess basics _are_ important." Tenten laughed before she stood and motioned towards the various hidden daggers, needles and knives that wrapped around her body under the layer of her clothing.

"Wow." Sakura clasped her hands together. "I'd love to spar with you right now… but we can't." She sighed. "Instead, why don't I show you around _Victory_?"

"Sounds good to me."

"But let's take a nap first. I'm exhausted from organizing the expedition."

Tenten agreed.

The journey from home made her body aware of the rest she needed and so the two quickly dressed and went to bed.

When Tenten woke up, she can tell that it was just past noon in accordance to the position of the sun. Sakura was clearly more tired since the female was remained unmoved from her sleep despite Tenten's movements. That changed when Tenten was changed her clothing.

Sakura stirred and rose from her rest. "Is it that time already?" She yawned before she slipped out of bed. "At least the sea is calm and the sun is clearly seen but once we hit Kumogakure's seas, I'm afraid I can't say the same."

Tenten remained silent and kept her attention towards the floor as Sakura changed her appearance. "Is everything alright Tenten? Don't tell me you're sea sick." Sakura grinned and all Tenten could do was smile softly before Sakura led them out of the room.

"How's Naruto been?" Tenten asked Sakura.

She hadn't seen her mentor over the past week due to their busy responsibilities and duties. However, one thing Tenten knew was Naruto's strict devotion to meeting with Sakura, aside from Hinata of course.

"I don't think he'll get back to his usual self until he's fully moved on." Sakura confessed softly. "And it breaks my heart. Frankly, I'm not sure how loosing your best friend is something you can move on from… I'm still grieving in my own way but Naruto…" Sakura sighed. "It's like he's a different person."

"Maybe he wants revenge on whoever's done it."

"Naruto? It's unlike him to pursue and harbour hate for someone but at this rate, it's hard to tell… If that is the case, I just hope he isn't consumed by it. Otherwise, It'll be my turn to start grieving for the loss of my best friend." Once they addressed the serious issues that pressed their hearts, their conversations lightened.

Tenten was amazed by how wide, deep and long the boat was but she started feeling uncomfortable as her breathes drew shorter the further they descended down the ship. The lack of windows made her feel suffocated and the strong material below made the atmosphere cold and distant.

It haunted her.

She found herself less inclined to engage in conversation until the sun warmed her skin. The further down they went the extravagant features would lessen floor by floor. It made sense as to why they placed the elders on the top floor compared to the scholars, soldiers and sailors.

Despite the vast amount of people on the boat, the hallways were empty and she figured that the majority of them were asleep.

When they finally reached the open air, they appreciated the stillness of the sea. Since they knew that it would get worst later and she took the time to inhale as much of the salty yet pleasant air.

The board of the ship was also almost empty. Even the captain was relaxed in his chair as he tailed behind the front vessel. He was reclined in his seat and due to his rested position; he couldn't see what happened on the front of _Victory_.

Knowing this, Sakura offered Tenten a light dual.

"Gently." Sakura stressed. She didn't want to bore holes on her families heredity ship. Tenten was more than glad to accept since it would be something to help subside her nerves and perhaps put her to rest when the ship would eventually reach shifting waves.

123

Neji could not believe how long the meeting lasted. He watched through the window as the sun slowly started to settle below, leaving an orange tinted sky. There were many meetings before hand that should have solidified any other pressing matters but now he was convinced that the elders just liked to invoke debate specially when it concerned the Uchiha's.

Therefore, he was more than glad when the meeting finished. It was one of those moments where he actually wanted Naruto to be there – to be the reasonable voice on the side of the Uchiha's. Instead of Naruto there was one advocate for rationality as Elder Yulie defended the Uchiha's against the accusatory and clouded judgements of his fellow colleagues.

Yulie was just at the end of his 40's but due to his incredible intelligence he had quickly made up the ranks. Even then, Neji could remember the times he had such a great respect for the Huuyga since Yulie was the one who was so outspoken about honour and obsessed with preserving the Huuyga blood. But he quickly disappointed Neji when Yulie broke his strong philosophy of the perseverance of Hyuugas when he met Esther – a village girl.

They were married now for almost 30 years and had a grand total of six kids: two older boys and a quadruple of girls. Neji couldn't deny that the man's great knowledge and wisdom affected how Neji viewed life.

Now that he was older, he was beginning to understand how revolutionary and reflection-worthy Yulie's new philosophy was. But deep within, there was a fear that grew in Neji that he was starting to accept Yulie's ideals as his own, which were radically different from that of his ancestors.

However, he pushed that aside as the ship drastically moved, rocking from one end to another.

It was familiar to him. It was the first few rounds that signalled that they've entered Kumogakure waters. Since they were expected to arrive by tomorrow morning to midday, he decided to head to the front bow to receive and send messages between his comrades who were on other vessels.

He went up into the fresh air of sea and was about to go straight to the aft –above the bridge until he could see that Sakura was comforting a distraught Tenten who was curled up in a ball. He paused from his goal. He felt his heart and mind argue whether they ought to check on her.

Ultimately he decided against it since she not in any apparent peril.

He went on, unable to shake the small part of him that wanted to check up on her. So to appease his conscious, he promised that he'd make sure she was all right once he finished checking on the others.

There was a single worker who took care of the birds on the roof. When he noticed Neji, he stepped away from the cage to formally acknowledge the presence of the RIC Warrior.

He straightened his back while both his hands folded behind his back until Neji breathed out: "at ease" and in fluid motion, the worker waved a straight hand over his forehead before going back to feed the pigeons.

Neji was more focused on the eagle that stood proudly yet tilted his head in curiosity as Neji walked towards him. The worker then took that as a chance to ask why he had come and Neji told him the very reason.

The bird keeper opened the eagle's cage and stuck his gloved hand inside. The eagle stepped confidently on his wrist and remained still as the man pulled his hand out and led the eagle out. With his free hand, he took a white cloth and tied it around the eagle's talon before pushing forth his entire arm to signal the eagle to fly in the air.

While the magnificent bird was up there, the worker's guided the eagle with his melodious whistle. The eagle listened and flew in a circle for an extensive amount of time before two other eagles from the front and back responded in the same flight but other than white cloth, it replaced green.

This signalled that everything was good and reading for further movement.

Upon receiving the report, the unnamed worker blew into his pinched fingers to draw out a loud whistle. It beckoned for the eagle's return.

"Good work." Neji stated before he headed.

It then dawned on him that he ought to check on Tenten but seeing that she now stood and appeared to be well, he ignored his earlier promise and went on to attend further business.

This business was dealt inside his own private quarters – a place decorated far more extravagantly than he cared for. He settled himself down in front of the drawing table before going through the documents that gave a clear description of everything related to this mission.

It was going to be a long night and he arranged the appropriate amount of oil inside the lamp before continuing his review of the reports.

It was late in the night when the waves began to hit hard against _Victory'_ s sides, which signalled that they were now at the heart of Kumogakure's territories.

Neji figured that he could continue but the waves eventually evolved into harsh tosses that forced his paper's to slide off his desk. Quickly, he grabbed paperweights and scattered them around on his table but even then, the paperweight shifted.

Defeated, he hastily gathered the papers and rearranged them inside the drawer. The waves seemed far worst than the other times he had traveled by boat to Kumogakure but again, during those times, he'd be asleep – as most people would be.

There was a reason why they were adamant about leaving before dawn.

As much as he would enjoy the rest, he decided to scout the boat for any potential compromises. Tenten should also be performing this duty and he figured since Sakura's room was closer to the open air; Tenten would scout the upper floors first. So he decided to that he should inspect the lower floors of _Victory_ then reunite with Tenten on top to report to one another.

He grabbed a lamp meant for traveling and transferred the light from his desk lamp to the other. He left his room and felt the eeriness creep into him.

The hallway was empty, dark and it creeked loudly.

It felt as if he was staring into an abyss of darkness. He suddenly felt _small._

Despite that, he traversed and successfully concluded that nothing was out of ordinary. This was confirmed further when his byakugan.

One thing he did notice was how the shifting of the boat felt worse near the top than it had in the bottom and so when he reached the opened air, it almost surprised him how small the waves looked compared to how they felt.

But perhaps he spoke too soon.

A wave as big as _Victory_ crashed against them and its weighted water came crashing against the surface thus leaving behind large puddles behind. A group of men came with buckets and scooped the water to throw it back out.

Along that time, a large group of others steered the ship manually through the pulling of rope in sails. Now he understood why they were all at rest in the morning. He also noticed the flicker of pink hair in the captain's ward. He could make out the distinguished form of Sakura, Minako and the captain.

However, there was no sign of Tenten. He felt that something was wrong but he pushed his worry away until he found her. He continued forth and walked around the ship, looking for her. Without a break of sweat, Neji eventually caught sight of the brunette dazed by the never-ending sea of dark blues and greys.

He called out her name as he got the closer but he was met with no response. He paused but kept his pace even and called out to her again but much like the first she remained unresponsive.

His thoughts stopped.

Something was wrong.

Tenten was quick and cheerful in most of her responses.

The anxiety that he felt in his gut now spread across his body.

Tenten confirmed his suspicion, as she remained still despite a wave larger than the last came speeding towards her direction. Her proximity to the sea would clearly overthrow her and without another second of thought, Neji activated his chakra and used it to propel his body at high speed.

When he was by her side, he grabbed Tenten by the waist, spun around and knelt over her as he used his body to shield the wave. The power of the water and the drawing back of it should have ripped Neji off if not for the chakra that glued his feet to the floor.

"What were you thinking?!" He shouted as he shook Tenten by her shoulders. He wanted to wake her up from this deadly trance.

His shout seemed to finally catch her ears when her eyes focused on his and the dull daze came to pass. Her stoic reaction collapsed as she let out a cry. Tears poured from her eyes and he knew it was not his strict voice that caused her to breakdown, their previous training proved that.

His body moved on it's own.

He picked her up and walked back to his room where it would be safer to discuss what had just happened. There was so much weight, emotional and physical, as he lifted up the soaking wet woman. Her cries of anguish were muffled into his chest.

It made him uncomfortable that he could feel her pain. Although he knew nothing of what caused such a cry, his heart moved beyond his control for the pathetic figure in his arms. He gritted his teeth and fought against the waves the threatened his balance.

When they arrived, her tears continued to fall yet her wails were no longer. He laid her gently on his bed where she remained sitting, and in turn he looked through his closet and threw her a towel.

"You wouldn't want to get sick." He said, turning away so that he could change out of his own soaked clothes. He glanced over his shoulder to see that Tenten had let her hair flow down into curling wet mops that glistened in reflection from the light.

"Here." He threw her one of his dry tunics before situating himself behind his desk as he changed his bottoms. He felt timid knowing that they were both naked in the same room in a context that was out of training. He had seen her naked body under his byakugan and his body never reacted like it had now.

His stomach churned, his heart quickened, his breath shortened.

Once he was in his dry clothes, he laid his towel on the chair but refused to turn around until Tenten mentioned that it was all right for him to do so.

When she confirmed that it was clear, he leaned his body against his desk as it faced her. There was a long pause between the two until Neji went straight into business.

His eyes remained on the floor.

He was too scared to look at her.

He felt pathetic but it was the only thing he could think of to calm his beating heart.

"What happened out there? We debriefed the risks and you confirmed with me that you were mentally and physically capable of performing your best. Your lie could cost us a lot."

"It's not that." Tenten frowned deeply as her eyebrows dipped low in an obvious display that she was offended by his words. "It brought back awful memories. That is all."

At that point, Neji pulled out his folder of Tenten in his brain. He scrolled through her file in search of valuable and relevant information that could give him some insight. However, nothing out of the ordinary struck him.

"What happened?" He asked softly, knowing well that it was out of his protocol as her leader to touch on this obvious personal subject.

Rarely did he enter this turf, even when dealing with Naruto's emotional stresses. Neji preferred to know the trigger so he could help ease his teammate's pain rather than going into detail. Tenten seemed to understand that their conversation eased into the unprofessional side and she was touched that he did it for her.

"My parents died in a sea storm." She managed to whisper out despite the growing lump in her throat.

Neji remained silent. His eyebrows knitted together as he was unsure of what to say but gave her a space of silence to talk.

She didn't.

All she did was fall onto his pillow dramatically and remained laid down unmoving. The silence lasted long, to the point where Neji was unsure if Tenten had fallen asleep on his bed.

"My mom died giving birth to me and my dad was assassinated when I was 5." His words were unconscious, as if they had slipped from his mouth.

As if he had been longing to tell someone.

He paused and waited for a response but when there was none, he figured she had succumbed to her fatigue. He removed his weight from the desk and approached his door but before he left, he glanced over his shoulder to look at her.

He wished he hadn't.

Her back was faced from him but she still made his stomach churn.

Despite his loose tunic over her, it clung to her small waist, her full hips, and exposed her long and toned legs. His eyes traveled longer than he wanted and he hastily turned to face the door.

His cheeks felt warm and his mind felt heavy.

Perhaps he had caught a sickness.

"I'm sorry." Tenten said, catching his attention. He heard her shuffle and his heart tightened in his chest.

He wanted to look at her but he was scared.

Scared that he would lose the little control he had left of his body.

"Why?" He asked instead.

She tried to response but her tears carried her into another roll of hiccups. He didn't ask again. He knew that her heart hurt for him and he felt uncomfortable knowing that someone carried his pain.

He didn't like burdening people but the tears she shed seemed to lighten his burdens. He wanted to thank her but his words remained stuck in his throat so he left.

Out in the hallway, he hoped that the harsh seas would remind him of his situation and level his head. But he felt himself swimming and drowning in his newly awakened feelings.

It was the first time, in a long time, since he felt this uncomfortable.

He was stupefied…

Tenten, _a woman,_ unarmed him but not by weapons.

He was lost.

He didn't know what to do.

He was a man of solution. He knew procedures, the ins and outs of any situation and could easily find amends but he was speechless and _lost._ Perhaps he ought to sleep on it.

Just as his thoughts wandered off to explore ideas of where he might be able to rest, one of the five major generals from the army had walked within his vicinity. They acknowledged each other with a slight bow before General Isaiah knocked four doors down.

"Otou-san." Isaiah called out casually, completely dropping his formal stance as he walked in the room.

Neji raised an eyebrow. He had no idea that one of the generals was the son of an elder. His questions was answered once Elder Yulie stuck his head out and acknowledged Neji with a smile.

"Can't find much sleep in the middle of the tossing waves?" Elder Yulie asked.

"I guess you could say that." Neji walked towards the youngest Elder. Once he reached his door, he could see that General Isaiah had fallen on the soft bed of his fathers. "I had no idea that General Isaiah was your son."

"Ah, yes. It must be his blonde hair." Yulie motioned towards his own black hair. "My mother has blonde hair, he inherited it from her." He chuckled as he looked over his shoulder to observe his sleeping son.

For Neji, it was such an odd sight to see a man in his 20's depend on his father. It was looked down on but considering that Yulie was a man of different ideals, the thought of it being odd slowly left him.

"He doesn't fair too well on the seas and the only way he can rest is if he feels safe with his parents." He chuckled softly. He was so _fatherly_. Neji had almost forgotten what it was like to be around someone like that. "What about you? Anything I can do to help you relax your anxiety from the seas?"

"Nothing much, I think I'd feel better on another bed."

"Ahh, well I know Isaiah's bed is in the lower compartments. It's a lot harder on the back from what I hear but I know my brother-in-law has always prefered a harder bed on sea." He smiled at the memory. "Anyways, I bid you good night. We both have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Neji bowed before he headed towards the end of the hallway but as he had done so, there was a creak from a door and a familiar voice that called out to him. He turned around.

He wished he hadn't.

His mouth gaped at the sight of Tenten.

Again his eyes traveled along her long legs that his tunic failed to cover. She pushed herself against the entryway of the door, which pressed her bosom together as she unconsciously accentuated their presence. And his larger tunic drooped over her exposed shoulder and she could just see curve of her cleavage.

He averted his eyes as he felt the new feelings twist his insides, stronger than before.

"You don't have to leave." She said. "It would be nice to have some company on this uncomfortable night."

He bit his tongue.

His anger boiled at the thought of her naïve attitude.

He knew that her intentions were completely harmless.

He knew that his bed could easily fit both of them with enough space in between them. But the pit of his stomach lurched forward and a deep sense in him knew what he ought to say.

"I-I can't." He stuttered and bit his lip over his pathetic deliverance. "I'm still a man." And he didn't prolong their talk any further as he went on ahead.

Once he was out of sight from anyone, he slammed his fist against the wall as his insides moved on their own. Confusion clouded his thoughts and he unsure of how he ought to respond to the flood of recaptured memories of Tenten pouring in his head.

He felt so ashamed as his brain pulled up the pictures he had taken of her.

With a grunt, he figured that sleep would help him recover. He eventually found a spare mattress in the soldier's quarters and made sure to keep his silence as to not awaken any of the others.

Once he lay down, his beating heart was stilled by the fatigue his body felt and it wasn't long until the soft movements of the boat rocked him to sleep.

123

Tenten woke up in the early morning, unsure of why there was so much space on her bed until she remembered that she wasn't in Sakura's room. With a jolt, she jumped off and fell against the wall as she looked around.

The light from the oil lamp had died a long time ago. Her clothing was hung from the bedpoast while Neji's own damp clothing was spread across his desk.

She looked down at her attire and blushed. She wore his clothes.

With haste, she pulled his shirt off from her body and changed back to her damp clothing. She didn't have enough time to tie her hair into two buns but rather escaped before someone misunderstood her exit from a man's room. With her face red and her long curly hair tailing behind her, she made her way towards Sakura's room.

As she preoccupied with her situation, she failed to see that Neji was awake and waiting by the staircase until she was gone. Although he had rest, he missed e his much softer bed.

Once she was ought of sight, Neji made haste towards his own room except a it no longer felt like his own. It had been invaded. He couldn't determine if he was all right with her presence staining his space. Overall, he wasn't sure what he was feeling and not long, he fell on his bed face down and welcomed his soft bed.

But was more challenging that Neji had anticipated as Tenten's sweet scent touched his nose.

On the other side of the hallway, Tenten was out of breath when she reached Sakura's room and although her movement was loud, Sakura remained still and asleep. She was most likely awake the entire night, helping with the boat's direction thus her forgivable exhaustion. The brunette was thankful for this and slipped out of her damp clothing to change into something more comfortable before heading out to do exercises on the open space of the boat's front.

There she could see the lead vessel meters below her own. She wondered how the smaller boat survived the tall waves of the midnight moon. Nonetheless, she saw Naruto's small figure waving enthusiastically at her in. She responded with an equally exaggerated arm flail.

From there Naruto's mouth opened as his voice tried to reach her but in response, Tenten shouted that she could not understand while pointing to her ears and shrugging. Naruto tried again albeit their failure and soon they both let out a laught. Instantly, Tenten felt better, it seemed as if Naruto's charismatic and enthusiastic personality was starting to come back.

She stepped away from the edge and stood still. With her eyes closed, she acknowledged the strong winds, the smells that soothed her mind into acknowledging her place in the world. With deep breaths, she followed a dance of martial arts with each punch and kick accompanied by an exaggerated shout.

Her dance lasted for an unspeakable amount of time before she decided to advance her practise by extending her movements with a long wooden stick. She carried the staff with control and the jabbed with intense power and focus. Once she fell into rhythm, she added another level to the difficultly by performing twirls, jumps and kicks.

For her finale, she readied herself for the move she had practised the past week.

As she neared for her last act, fear clouded her thoughts as her body responded with hesitancy. She paused, took a deep breath and pushed forth.

She aimed her staff down and balanced it straight. Before it had fallen, she took those milliseconds of its stillness, stepped back to build momentum for her jump as she kicked herself off the ground. Ever so gently, the tip of her toes touched the top of the staff and for a moment, she was successful.

However, the short joy ended once she felt the staff waver and her stance as well failed to counterbalance the rocking of the staff and the winds.

Although her failure was to be expected, she took this as an opportunity to practise a graceful recovery rather than a shameful fall. She jolted her body into a black flip and midway to the ground, she reached to grab the falling staff and landed with a strong stance on the ground. Again, she pulled herself back into a strict stance before relaxing and jumping in the air with celebration.

"Congratulations." A voice said from afar.

Once she recognized it to be Neji, she immediately pulled back and appeared small and shy under his presence. A flurry of heat pushed into her cheeks. "I'm impressed." He crossed his arms and the slight smirk on his face caused Tenten to blush further. One hand instinctively reached to the back of her head as she forced out a chuckle.

"Thanks Neji." She told him.

"Shall we meditate then?" He asked, leading them towards the next segment.

"Uh, yes." She quickly responded.

She laid the staff down and sat down across from Neji who was already on the ground. With their legs crossed and their hands rested on their laps, they allowed their thoughts to trail away from the present. However, it proved to be difficult.

Unlike the other times she had practised meditation with Neji, her thoughts could not ignore what had happened last night.

"I can feel your aura and I can tell that you're not concentrating." His scolding made Tenten cringed as she felt herself decline into a stifled laugh.

"Right, sorry." This time, she tried a different approach by squeezing her eyes shut and doing everything in her strength to think beyond her moment.

"Now you're concentrating too hard. Just let go." Neji chastised and with this, a small part of Tenten could feel his annoyance pour out of him. After a few more moments, Neji let out a very audible sigh.

"I'm disappointed… but perhaps I shouldn't be since it was one of the things you had a hard time getting accustomed to in the first place." At that moment, Tenten became perplexed, frustrated and slightly betrayed at Neji cold and distant attitude towards her.

Just a while ago, he had complimented her but his sudden shift in attitude sparked her to become annoyed. She fought hard, wondering if she should express her own disappointment in the same passive aggressive way he was displaying his feelings towards her. Before she could open her eyes and snap at him, a loud shout rang through the open air.

"Land ho!" A sailor shouted as he announced the sight of land.

Tenten let out a deep sigh. "Good." She thought and opened her eyes to see that Neji already had his open. His gaze was directed to the sailor who was high up in the poles of the sails.

"That's a sign for me to gather the elders. I shall see you later, excuse me." Neji told her and left the defeated Tenten behind. After a few moments of silent thought, she figured it would be a good time to check up on Sakura.

Upon arrival, Sakura was already awake but remained laid in her bed. Her eyes remained on the ceiling and Tenten knew that her appearance drew Sakura out of her deep thoughts.

"Tenten." Sakura acknowledged with a smile. "I looked for you last night, I had seen Neji carrying you inside and I wanted to make sure that you were okay! I assumed he had taken you to the med bay but when I had gone to check, you weren't there." Tenten forced out a laugh to draw attention away from anything awkward or assuming.

"He had taken me to another physician since this boat is so full of them." She lied. "Then much after, he sat me down to do a mental evaluation if I was still fit for the mission." Tenten told her, feeling more comfortable as each word passed by since the second part was the truth. "After a recap of the mission and other classified information, I had slipped into bed with you but you were already asleep. I later woke up earlier since I'm used to it."

"Ah, I guess so. I wouldn't have been able to tell since I knocked out right away and had a terrible deep dream. I hope Neji-san wasn't too hard on you." Sakura yawned, brushing aside Tenten's story as passible and didn't feel the need to probe any longer.

Seeing this, Tenten let out a small sigh.

"Well, before we dock, I had promised to eat with Tsunade-taishou. I'm sure I've told you about her." Sakura mentioned.

"Ah, you have." Tenten recalled their tea sessions and remembered how Sakura respected and loved the female physician.

"Would you like to join us?"

"I'd love to." Tenten accepted gladly, feeling that this would be a good way to avoid Neji for the moment.

123

Tsuunade's room was much lower than Sakura's level but much higher than the soldiers. It was small and undecorated but from Tenten's observation, Tsunade had the room to herself rather than sharing it with 3 other people.

Once Tsunade's door opened, Tenten instantly felt young and immature in the presence of the older woman who carried herself with pride, pose, respect and wisdom.

"Welcome Sakura and Tenten." The brunette's eyes widened. She was unaware that the woman would even know her but she easily assumed that Sakura told her everything. "Come in, although I'm not sure how the room could accommodate all of us." She stepped aside and ushered them towards a small wooden table with three chairs. "I do appreciate your effort, getting me a room to myself but Sakura… couldn't you arrange me a room on the elder's floor?" Tsunade grinned as she pulled out a small trove of snacks and tealeaves.

"Even _Victory_ didn't anticipate the amount of nobles entering, this is the first time we've taken on this much people."

"I can tell." Tsunade spoke as she neared her door. "I guess there are benefits here… I'd much prefer my current neighbours over most of those grumpy old men upstairs." She vanished for a few seconds before she then came back with a kettle and a small metal box. "Look at this creation, I've never seen anything like it. It's like a stove except you can carry it around…"

Tsunade settled the rectangular box down to reveal a large circular hole covered by grills. While Tenten and Sakura observed the object, Tsunade followed the directions of the creator who had instructed her earlier how it is to be used. After much time and anticipation, a small sustainable light drew out of the hole. Tsunade promptly settled the kettle on the open flame without it being extinguished.

"Wow, I've never seen anything like that before… this would be a great item on the market." Sakura said softly. Tenten chuckled at the resurface of her business side.

"You can always talk to Dr. Albert across the room after we're done snacking. Quickly now, there are a lot of things I must run by you girls once we dock. When you're under me, I prefer to be as effect as can be in order to help those people out there. Understood?"

"Understood." Sakura repeated in confidence while Tenten simply nodded.

She wondered what possessed this woman to command such authority and demand such respect. She easily dismissed Tenten's over ranked status by treating her as a mere pupil. Either way, Tenten knew that it would be best to be on Tsunade's side so she listened carefully.

By the end of their conversation, Tenten was awestruck by the blonde. "Why weren't you offered to be in the RIC?" At that, Tsunade laughed.

"Jiraya wondered that often and tried to reason with the former king but the times were different then. I was lucky that I was even able to pursue doctoring and honoured as a credible as one too." Tsunade smiled softly at the thought of her past. "Besides, it gave me an opportunity to stay by my late husband's side." There was sorrow in her eyes as she took a sip of her tea and Tenten chose not to pry in that subject.

Judging by the sorrow in Sakura's eyes, she probably knew of him.

A clang from Tsunade's cup pulled Tenten's attention forth followed by a loud screech from the moved chair as Tsunade went to dig in her luggage for a bottle of sake. Once it was revealed, Sakura sighed.

"Not to much alright?"

"Of course, I have to make this bottle last the entire trip back also." Tsunade laughed as she mixed it in with her tea. "Want some ladies?" She offered but both girls declined gently.

With a flushed Tsunade, Tenten was glad to see that the conversation had steered into a lighter topic but deep down, Tenten knew this was an act to escape the past's haunting.

However, Tenten would not judge since she herself, did everything she could to avoid the painful memories of her parent's passing.

123

Before they docked, both Tenten and Sakura excused themselves to meet with Minako and the captain to prepare for the careful procedures when they step onto Kumogakure's soil.

The two countries were allies but the underlining tension from the wars of the past was still tangible.

As they neared the dock, Tenten could see the gathered citizens watch in wonder what their ship had in store. Down below she also saw Naruto's vessel docked. Currently he was on land talking to a man in uniform.

The man in uniform clearly held a higher rank than the group of men lined up neatly behind him. In case that wasn't enough to prove his position, his more extravagant garments and badges made it clear to any blind bat of his esteemed rank.

Although Tenten couldn't hear their conversation, their relaxed body language showed that they were friends. "That's Captain Yamato of the police department." Sakura informed her as she leaned over the edge.

Once the blonde and brunette below finished talking, they waved at the ladies and both responded back cheerfully. "I can't believe I'm back here." Sakura sighed before she addressed the captain with her thumb up to indicate that they may now prepare for docking.

Tenten remained silent at Sakura's comment.

Tenten considered the baggage that Sakura would have to open just from being back here while Tenten herself was excited to finally be on her first official quest as a RIC. She was also nervous to be stepping food in her native land.

She secretly hoped selfishly that she wouldn't have to watch Sakura the entire time so she could regroup with RIC.

From a distant, she could see Neji standing by the entrance to the boat with his arms folded. It was obvious that he was deep in thought, as his eyes were misplaced on her. The moment their eyes locked, she wasn't sure if she should look away or acknowledge him in some way. Her irritation from earlier delayed her decision.

But Neji did the deciding when he joined Minako, the captain, Sakura and herself as they descended the plank that led to the concrete ground of the city port.

Just below them, Naruto was waiting with Yamato for the five to come down. In response, the men greeted each other with firm handshakes while the females gently bowed their heads. Tenten made the conscious choice to do as Sakura did.

"Minako, Captain and Sakura." Naruto said. "Captain Yamato has a few formalities that he must settle with you."

"I'd like togather the other captains from the other vessels before we begin our formal discussion. In the mean time as we wait for the others to dock, would it be possible to collect the generals?" Yamato directed his statement to the three while Naruto led Tenten and Neji away from the conversation.

Tenten realized that Naruto was taking them to the last vessel to dock. Even from a distant, she could see Lee jogging in place in anticipation for the boat to settle.

"There are a lot of people here." Neji commented in reflection to his slight discomfort for crowds. Enemies easily hid in crowds and were quick to harm innocent blood if needed.

"I'm surprised that it is still civil. I was expecting an epidemic of house fires, robbery and poverty." Tenten confessed sheepishly.

"I did too." Naruto laughed. "But this town is well off compared to others. I'm sure there has been an increase of crimes – they're just not as obvious as we expect them to be. I also believe that everyone is too rattled up with fear to do any harm. After all, how can the great Uchiha race be wiped off in one night?" He stated that question rhetorically but she knew he battled with that question frequently.

Once the plank from last vessel settled, Lee zoomed by to reunite with his team and even when he was in their presence, he did not stop jogging in place.

"It's awful feeling cramped in there, I did my best to do exercises but even then, it was not enough to calm the youthful waves inside of me! I was so tempted to swim the rest of the way… although I'm glad I did not. Otherwise I would have drowned considering those waves last night. Instead, I took it as a chance to train my balance! Did you know I was able to remain on the tip of my staff throughout the majority of the storm?!" His wide smile hurt the cheeks of those who watched.

"Were you really able to balance on a staff throughout those waves?!" Tenten responded in unbelief. She already found it difficult to stay balanced on still waters.

"Well, it was more like trying to stay up on the staff which involved a lot of spinning, jumping, grabbing the staff and trying to position it while you're still in the air…" He rambled as he recalled last night.

He went on to explain the adrenaline flowing through him, the loud waves pouring through and in their boat, how wet he was and how soar his body was the next day.

"You're crazy Lee." Naruto laughed. "But I guess that's what makes you amazing too." Tenten and Lee stopped their enthusiastic conversation to appreciate the words Naruto said.

"Thanks Naruto." Lee said with a small blush. "It's also good to have you back with us." And Tenten nodded, feeling the weight of truth with those words.

She knew Lee's words extended beyond the mention of Naruto's physical presence but his emotional presence as well. Naruto was _far_ better now than he was a few months ago.

"To continue on with business, we've secured a number of hotels near the area." Naruto said as he gave nodded at Neji.

Seeing Neji's stance tense awakened Lee and Tenten to also be aware of their surrounding. Not long after, Naruto led them through the crowd who moved aside for them. There were a number of murmurs and even Tenten wondered how they could escape from the constant watch.

Some innocent children swung by to follow them but thankfully their parents grabbed them before they got too far. Naruto was right when he said there were hotels nearby since their walk to the _Crystal_ wasn't too far.

They entered the building. It was empty except for the workers who had expected their arrival. The desk server immediately knew who Naruto was and welcomed him with two keys.

"Thanks." Naruto responded. "The others will be arriving shortly and will get settled later in the day." He informed the manager before he walked confidently through the hallway and up the stairs. In even pace, they arrived on the 12th and final floor, where their rooms were secured. "This is your key." Naruto handed one to Tenten. He passed her door and entered the one across from it.

"Thanks." She responded quickly and tucked it away in one of her pockets.

Together they entered the decent sized hotel that had 2 queen-sized beds and various furniture rearranged to create a dynamic yet practical space. Neji was closed the door and he scanned the area with his byakugan before he declared that it was clear to proceed.

In response to that deceleration, Naruto crouched under the bed and pulled out a scroll. Tenten watched carefully, unsure if it had a specific message for them but what she found interesting so far was the act of opening it.

Naruto tangled the scroll in his hands that formed a gesture before he shouted out "Houmen."

She felt a powerful pulse escape his body that forced her to step back in order to prevent herself from tipping over. Not long after, the scroll loosened and their captain laid it out on the floor. Tenten was shocked, it was empty but she didn't say anything to express the obvious, rather she stayed vigilant in watching Naruto perform the ritual like technique.

Tenten cringed with confusion when Naruto bit his thumb.

The blood bubbled onto his finger before he pressed it down on the empty paper. The liquid from his thumb spilled into words and a geometric shape that suggested some sort of ritualistic symbol.

As the impossible formed in front of her, she didn't expect the sudden and odd sensation that shot through her body. Her vision blurred and spun before they focused into view once again.

They weren't in the hotel.

Tenten tensed up as she realized that the town they were in a while ago was the same town she now looked at from the cliff they teleported to. Her eyes wandered with wild bewilderment at the trees that cradled their presence. Her brain couldn't process what had just happened.

"Is this one of those chakra moves you did?" She asked as she tried to orient herself. At first she glanced at Neji but immediately she found her cheeks heat and instead turned to Lee for the answer. He nodded.

"Seals are one way to explore chakra release and what it can do."

"Seals?" Tenten continued to take the conversation forth while Naruto led them through the forest.

"Ah, Neji will teach you that eventually."

"Once you get chakra flowing through your blood, we can move onto the other lessons." Neji explained.

"I see." Tenten sighed.

Fortunately, their walk through the forest wasn't long until they encountered a small shack. It was covered with moss and leaves that poked through the rotting wood. Although it looked abandoned, Naruto continued to approach the building and knocked on the door with 4 confident beats in a certain rhythm.

Tenten held her breath and wondered who was behind the door. It creaked open to reveal a familiar face.

"Welcome." Sai said as he opened the door for them.

Inside was a scatter of wooden supports and finished canvases stretched. While some were painted, most of them remained in their initial stages of sketches. Other than the obvious display of Sai's day occupation, there were the necessities: a bed, a table, a stove and a fireplace for the cold nights in the forest.

"Are you sure you weren't followed?" He asked and closed the door. Neji was the one to confirm. "Good then I shouldn't keep any of you waiting." He signalled the group to step aside as he pulled away the wall-sized canvases. Tenten had expected there to be a hidden entrance to a room behind the paintings but to no avail, there was none. Rather, Sai continued to move the canvases, them pushed aside a large chest so the weight on the rug was relieved.

This made it easy for him to pull off the rug to reveal nothing but wooden boards. Tenten was confused and wondered what it was they were looking for. That was until Sai did a pattern of hand signals before spouting out a word like Naruto had done earlier.

The wooden floor then warped to reveal a trapdoor. He grabbed the handle of the panel and pulled it up to show an unlit room below – essentially, what Tenten could see was a dark hole.

"He's been waiting downstairs." Sai motioned towards the opening in the floor. "I'll keep an eye out here."

"Good job Sai." Naruto commented before jumping down. Neji followed along with Lee who didn't even question their actions. He was swift and quick behind his leaders while Tenten gave a hesitant look at Sai before jumping in. The height of the fall was at least a meter more than the length of her body.

"Watch out, it's a low ceiling." Lee told her, and from the small light that poured in, she could see that he was caressing the top of his head.

She straightened her stance slowly to gauge the height of the ceiling. She discovered that she was able to stand straight comfortably unlike the rest of the men.

She looked around the dark room and felt the additional presence of the other seated.

"Ah, I see you've got someone new in the RIC." A low voice spoke out, indicating to Tenten that it was a man. As her eyes continued to adjust to the darkness, she saw the broad shoulders and spiky hair of the unknown character before her.

As if her inner complaints were heard, the unknown figure lit up an oil lamp to reveal his identity.

"Kakashi?" Lee gasped.

12345

Edited version!


	5. Chapter Four: Inauguration

Chapter Four: Inauguration

"We thought you were dead!" Lee exclaimed, leaving Tenten lost in her overwhelmed mind. She was still trying to wrap the idea that teleportation and hidden mirages behind wooden floors were possible.

"There were a lot of complications and cautions that we had to take in consideration. Only a handful know the full extent of our current situation…" Kakashi informed them.

"He's right. Only the king, two elders, Neji and I knew this." Naruto added. "As you can tell, there has been a growing tension between our two countries ever since the massacre. We've gathered some intel that a small group of zealots have banded together in the wake of our presence. In order to extinguish that, we needed to find someone suitable to act as reagent until we found a proper replacement for permanent."

Naruto then reached out for a heavy bundle of folders on top of the short table beside Kakashi's bed. "By the favour of the gods, it appears that Kakashi had made an unexpected change of plans during the week that the Uchiha's visited."

"Which meant he wasn't there when the boat got attacked." Lee whispered.

"After the night of the massacre, the morning had erupted with news of the massacre." Kakashi continued on from his perspective while Naruto spread out the papers along the desk. "When I heard, I chose to remain hidden in case I was targeted but it seemed that people believed me to be part of the casualties. Immediately, I informed Sai that I was alive then traveled back to my home."

"So ever since, you've remained out of sight…" Tenten concluded as she sorrowfully looked into the old man's tired eyes to show her sympathy.

There was a pause as she turned her attention to the neatly organized display of papers. There were floor plans and documents that had gone into very dangerous accusations and acts of witness.

One specific accusation that caught Tenten's attention was the idea that Prince Itachi was the one who orchestrated the entire massacre. Just as her eyes skimmed through the content, Naruto grabbed that paper and folded it neatly before he slid it into his inner jacket pocket.

"Our primary goal is to not babysit the scholars and elders although that is an important part." Neji took the reigns of explaining the plans. "We are here to make sure that everything goes smoothly during the inauguration of Kakashi Hatake and find out who exactly wanted the Uchiha clan dead. These are the exact details of the plan."

123

Tenten had awakened in the middle of the night, haunted by the images of the massacre. Since the meeting, Lee and Tenten had gone over every documents and account until they knew it by heart.

It had fuelled a deep growing fear in her.

It had left her panting in the middle of the night as she awakened from her nightmare. In her dreams she died by the hands of Itachi. His cold black eyes bore into her soul as he swiftly ended her life.

She propped herself up and glanced at the clock whose loud ticking disturbed the midnight silence. Her mind was still running on the fuel of paranoia, so much so that when she heard weeping, her heart stopped.

Slowly, she glanced over and her mind began to sooth her stretching thoughts as it reminded her that Sakura occupied the other bed. Tenten called out to her friend, fairly certain that the quiet weeping belonged to her. A short moment passed before Sakura turned over so her back was no longer facing Tenten.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" Sakura asked. Her question was accompanied by a loud sniffle that confirmed that the cries were hers.

"No." Tenten responded softly. "It seems that even in my dreams, they are at war against me. How goes you?"

"This entire place just brought back a lot of memories. I think the reality of Sasuke's death has eventually settled in now that I'm here. It's an odd feeling. I expect to be greeted by Sasuke but then I'm reminded he's dead. I miss him."

"It sounds like you really loved him." Tenten whispered, knowing and ignoring that the conversation would lead into a scandalous topic. Sakura chuckled beneath her crackled voice.

"I did...I do." She sighed. "It was certainly foolish of me for doing so since he was obviously betrothed to the princess." There was a small smile on Sakura's face as she smoothed out her blankets so her anxious hands could do something.

Tenten's eyes widened and was surprised that Sakura had no knowledge of Sasuke's plans. She had automatically assumed that they both partook in a hidden relationship just as Naruto and Hinata have. At this point, Tenten wondered if she ought to expose the truth.

"To be honest," Sakura continued. "I had believed that he had a liking towards me…but perhaps he only kept me around because Naruto was our best friend, or out of courtesy since we were childhood friends or… he wanted to strengthen our countries trade."

"There's that…" Tenten acknowledged, still deciding if it was appropriate to expose the truth but she eventually settled with telling her. After all, what could be the harm of telling her the plans of a dead person? "But I would argue that he kept you around on his expeditions and made requests for your presence because he _did_ fancy you."

There was a pause before Sakura charged the silence with a fit of laughter.

"Have you seen him? He's not very affectionate. Oh, when we were children made it his goal to let me know how annoying he found me to be. Even recently, he hardly acknowledged my presence and I often wondered why I was even there – other to befriend Hinata and spend time with Naruto."

"Well actually… Sasuke and Hinata were conspiring a plan that allowed them freedom from the expected marriage ties." Although it was hard to make Sakura out in the dark, the small tints of light that shone against her friend were enough for Tenten to know that Sakura was listening. "His final visit…He had managed to coax his father into visiting… as a matter of fact, his entire family was there. Do you remember?"

"O-of course…" Sakura stuttered, drawing out her memories of the Uchiha's visit. She remembered being surprised beyond belief that the entire family was there. Initially she thought that they were finally going to officiate Hinata and Sasuke's marriage.

Now her mind wandered off to the implications Tenten was trying to get at. Her cheeks began to warm up but her stomach coiled at the unpleasant realization of what _could have_ taken place.

"That meeting between his father and yours was all he needed… He had already gathered the support of his mother and brother, all that was left to convince was his father." Another long pause ensued between the two of them as Sakura digested the bulldozer of information.

"Is that why his father made an appearance in our home?"

"Yes." Tenten spoke. "That entire visit was to set everything in motion."

"Then that means…" Sakura's heart crushed under the weight of information handed to her. On one side, she was happy but on the other she was utterly broken. "And no one planned on telling me?!"

"Not even Naruto knew… This was a secret kept between the princess and the prince. Sasuke did not want to cause any scandal or taint yours or princesses image."

"Che, that idiot…" Sakura grumbled, curling up her fists. "He always has to be so damn secretive about anything. Only if he were alive so I can get a good punch at him!" Sakura's emotions seemed to boil down into violence but Tenten knew that was not true to her friend's heart.

Despite that, the audacity of Sakura to announce such a thing brought laughter to Tenten's lips. Hearing this, Sakura also joined in laughter and lowered her fist.

"When you put everything like that… I guess all those signs did mean something." There was another chuckle from Sakura. "I always wondered why Queen Mikoto preferred striking conversations with me rather than Hinata and why Princess Hisana always spoke to me about wanting a sister. They were all ready to accept me into their family…" Her voice cracked. Tenten heard her friend ball up into another session of tears.

"For someone smart, I can be really stupid too. Maybe if I realized sooner…" She sighed in defeat, knowing that her 'what ifs' would stay simply as that: thoughts. "Thanks Tenten. I don't know why but I feel at peace." Sakura whispered, snuggling in her bed.

"Hmm… if you don't mind me asking." Tenten caught her friend before she fell asleep. "What was Itachi like?"

"Itachi? Why?" Sakura mused, going through her memories of the late older brother and soon to be king.

"Just curious… I knew quite a bit about Sasuke since he was close to the people I knew but I've never heard much about Itachi." What Tenten spewed out were correct… if she were still referring to her past. It was different now that she had a folder of information on the lad – nothing struck her out of the ordinary.

Everything that was expected of a prince was found in Itachi. He was smart beyond his age, far capable in the physical aspect and charismatic. All the witnesses and accounts of Itachi were highly favourable but that short snippet of information that Tenten read before Naruto swiped it away clung close to her,

"He was…thoughtful." Sakura started. "He never really spoke unless necessary or spoken to, always composed, always had something wise to say. He was always calculating every situation he was in, it's hard to explain but sometimes it felt like he was always thinking ahead. Sasuke looked up to him and Hisana loved him. Hisana said he was gentle and sweet – lovely at romancing her although he would never express his affections in person."

Again, Tenten was not surprised to hear about his sensitive side towards his wife. Some of the pages in his folder spoke about how animated he was around Hisana in private. Until he realized that eyes were watching and would quickly revert back to his stoic self.

Their marriage was set in order to unite the Yagami's, a very prominent and wealthy family, to the throne. Although their marriage started only for political reasons, it sustained with their growing love and passion towards one another.

"Oh, Hisana…" Sakura sighed. "Bless her soul… She was pregnant." Tenten's eyes widened. This was not mentioned in any of the records, Itachi's or Hisana's. "She had just found out a few days before they came to Kumogakure. Only her handmaiden knew and Hisana wanted to wait for the perfect opportunity to tell her husband…

"I kept encouraging her to but she kept insiting that they should all focus on enjoying their time in Konohagakure. At first I was worried she was too scared to tell Itachi in fear that he'd despise the child but I think I get it now. She was looking out for Sasuke and wanted everything to go smoothly between us.

"Hisana probably didn't want to take the attention away from Sasuke's plans…" Sakura paused and could not help but smile at the thought. "She would have been an amazing sister-in-law."

After hearing all this, Tenten didn't know what to think of Itachi. If he was the murderer, she pitied a dead Hisana who poured herself onto that psychopath. If he wasn't, she grieved with the many others who lost such a great Prince.

"But that's all in the past now that they're… gone." Sakura stated, needing to hear the words. It sat heavy in the room and Sakura could no longer bare the thought awake. So she laid her head and drowned under the warm blankets around her. "We have a long day ahead of us Tenten, get some rest."

"Yes… goodnight." Was all that Tenten could say.

Once she was certain that her friend was asleep, she lit the lamp beside her bed and she pulled out the documents from in between her mattresses. There had to be something she missed as she insisted on re-reading everything over and over throughout the night until it warped and invaded her dreams.

123

"Wake up Tenten!"

The woman's eyes snapped open only after she got them to close. She grumbled in her bed and forced her eyes to remain wide to avoid falling asleep. "We have a long row of patients to check on today and Tsunade's very keen on time. A late doctor means a dead patient."

"Yes, yes… I'm up." She rolled off her bed and purposely allowed herself to fall onto the ground in hopes of feeling more alive. It did exactly what she expected and she stood more awake than before. Still dazed, her body moved to tidy up her space automatically.

When the girls finished washing up, they walked into the hallway and greeted the boys who had just walked out of their room. As expected, Lee was the only one who didn't step out. He most likely left earlier than everyone else.

"Good morning Naruto." Sakura smiled at her best friend whose panda eyes showed underneath his blue eyes.

"Morning Sakura-chan…" He yawned. "Where did you get all that energy from?"

"Oh, ah. I guess I'm just excited to finally be back on the field." She looked over her shoulder and winked at Tenten whose mind had wandered off. Therefore, she appeared to be just as confused as both Naruto and Neji.

While Sakura and Naruto drifted in their conversation, Neji decided to start one of his own as well. "How was your sleep?" He asked. Tenten looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Is it obvious I didn't get any?" She pouted before laughing. Like Naruto, she too had her own pair of panda eyes.

"Perhaps a little." Neji smirked. "What kept you up so late?"

"This entire mystery… the massacre. My mind was like an engine trying to piece everything…" She sighed wearily, wanting a break for the moment. So she decided to switch the conversation. "I'm also amazed at how much information we have access to. I'm a little curious as to why I haven't yet received the files on my own teammates." She gently punched his arm and Tenten noticed that Neji reflectively held onto the spot she had touched.

She glared at her hand. Was her touch stronger than she had thought it to be?

"Ah. Right. About that." Neji replied after some time.

"It was one of the thoughts that sprung up on me in the middle of the night." Tenten explained. "You, Naruto, Lee and Kiba know everything about me but I hardly know anything about any of you. To be honest, it kind of makes me feel vulnerable – a little naked and untrusted."

"Don't think too much of it Tenten. You'll receive our files soon enough. Usually, we would hand it onto the new member after a few months. Everyone is responsible for their own file. Sometimes, others can give you theirs early. It's a little different now that RIC members have left. We wouldn't want to give our files to someone who would eventually leave after a few months."

"Oh." Tenten pondered. "I won't leave!" She cheered, hoping to convince him... and herself.

This made Neji chuckle.

"That's good because ever since Shino and Sai left, we'll soon be declaring a law that no RIC can leave the group until 30 years of service."

"30 years? I think it should at least be 50. Maybe you guys have gotten soft over the years. Originally, it was suppose to be a life oath or a sentence to death. I also used to hear fearsome stories of the RIC but now I'm not so convinced." She teased which left a smirk on his face.

"And it's a good thing we got soft. Otherwise, I highly doubt you'd be accepted so easily into RIC." Her mouth gaped open as he pulled that one on her. Unlike before when she'd bicker back at him, she just laughed.

"Okay, I'll give that one to you." He joined in her laughter and was unable to look away from her. They paused once they had run out of words and felt their stare linger.

Tenten felt her cheeks warm up and looked away before she saw Neji's own cheeks blush a _faint_ red.

"To be honest," Neji said after clearing his throat. She glanced at him noticed his eyes were faced ahead. "Shino and Sai's withdrawal from RIC have brought about better outcomes for our country." Tenten's curiosity rose as she continued to listen to him. "Shino has contributed much to the scientific world while Sai was able to collect more intel. He's much more successful _now_ than his time with us." He explained. "He's always been a man that preferred staying away from crowds and I have a feeling that the RIC wasn't the type of title that accepted those ideologies."

While Sai preferred to stay in the shadows, RIC Warriors were meant to have strong public relations. They were the humanized version of the King and the Kingdom.

"Around Hinata's 17th birthday, the RIC then had Sai so Shino wasn't there anymore." Tenten recalled. "People were beyond belief that a RIC member had left and hadn't been punished, rather, the King had blessed Shino's leave. He was the first RIC in history to leave right?"

"He was."

"Well, I overheard some of my colleagues then trying to figure out who had replaced Shino. They could easily name Naruto, you, Lee and Kiba but they couldn't find the name for Sai. Some would name him the Shadow while others believed that Sai was never there - how it was only four members left." They chuckled at the thought. "I'd have to applaud Sai for being able to hide his identity with such a public title."

"And he's gotten to be such an asset without having to follow every morale rule under the King because he's _technically_ not working for the King." Neji stated. "But without Shino leaving, I don't think Sai would have left either. To be frank, I don't think he _wanted_ to be involved with RIC."

Tenten glanced at him with confusion.

"Danzo, his former mentor, had been the one to encourage him to do so." Neji told her and instantly she recalled the stone-faced man. When she came to Konoha as 12-year-old foreigner, she remembered how scary he looked as he stood by the King.

"Who was your mentor?" She asked.

Neji looked down. Tenten felt like she had asked something she should not have.

"My father... at first. Then my Uncle but I was later passed down to Gai-sensei."

"Gai-sensei? Isn't he Lee's mentor?"

"Yes." Neji said softly.

"Did the King get too busy to train you?"

"You know what happened." His voice came as a whisper. Tenten looked confused but when she realized what he had referred to, she froze.

It was after he had attacked Hinata, she realized that Neji was taken down to the barracks to receive his education. That was where Gai-sensei most likely fit the picture.

The King's excuse to the public was that Neji had reached an age where he ought to become strong for the Kingdom. No one argued and the public had no idea. When Neji turned 15, he had proved himself worthy to lead a subdivision of an army and soon rose in ranks. That promotion and type of responsibility quickly dispelled any lingered rumours that roamed carelessly about.

She remembered that Princess Hinata hadn't cried while Tsunade fixed her up. In fact, Tenten was frustrated that the Princess held no anger towards him so Tenten carried it herself. Throughout the years however, the flames of her anger slowly extinguished as the years went and when Neji proved himself loyal once again.

"About that time." Tenten finally said, catching his attention. "I'm sorry about what I said before the ball… in the hallway."

His eyes widened before he turned his gaze from her.

"Water under the bridge." He said. "I also want to apologize for what I did." Tenten observed the subtle movements in his face that suggested his deep regret.

"Dust under the rug." She responded.

"I-I." He paused, cleared his throat and looked away.

"You were going to say?"

"It was nothing."

Their steps along with Sakura and Naruto's voices echoed in the spiral staircase.

"Where did you learn to read anyways?" Neji asked innocently. It was uncommon for a slave to be literate.

"My old lord had felt that educating the children would be a good investment. By the time I got here, some of the things that I've been taught were forgotten but Dr. Iruka generously decided to re-educate me again."

"Iruka-sensei?" Neji murmured in a long contemplative thought. "He takes everyone doesn't he?" Tenten laughed lightly.

"Yes, I've heard a great deal about him – long after my lessons started. I hadn't realized someone so amazing would be willing to teach someone like me." Her eyes looked at the ground while her small smile faltered.

"You're no longer a slave… have a little more confidence. You're part of the circle now and if you still don't feel like you're a member, at least act like it. We have a title and image to carry and we don't need it washed away by a weak link." Her eyes widened once those words left his mouth and touched her ears.

A bubble of emotions erupted from her and displayed itself on her usually cheery self and she recognized amidst her rush of emotions was the immediate anger. She wanted to swear at him but held her tongue as they approached the ballroom converted cafeteria. She left Neji with a prompt "hmph" and quickened her speed to catch up with Sakura who had just wished Naruto goodbye before they parted.

"Oh man, we have a lot to do today." Sakura commented with a wide grin and she stretched her arms forward. "I can't wait to diagnose and treat patients!" Tenten responded with a short half-hearted laugh before they approached a table preoccupied by scholars. They were all tangled up in dynamic conversations too complicated for Tenten to understand.

The two ladies sat in front of Tsunade and were greeted by quick half-hearted mornings from the rest. The center of attention was a young adult, possibly 30.

"What are they talking about?" Sakura asked Tsunade in hopes of joining the medical feud.

"He's describing the theoretic possibility of transplanting – substituting organs for another. Let's say a bad heart for a good heart." Tenten's eyes widened while Sakura's shined and twinkled.

"That's amazing! Surgery was just an invented practise 7 years ago and now there is talk of substituting organs?" Sakura quipped as she reached for a plate of waffles.

"It all works in _theory_. Dr. Alexander had apparently done test on animals already and he's concluded so far that it's a success."

"Dr. Alexander Hyuuga?" Sakura almost hurt her neck when she recognized the man who led the conversation. At the mention of his name, Tenten recognized him to be listed as the eldest child of Elder Yulie – one of the elders who knew of Kakashi's status.

Near his early to middle twenties, he was one of the leading doctors to push forth the idea of surgery. Now here he was pushing the practice further and was still 28. Due to his devotion to his work, he sacrificed his ability to settle down and have a family. From what Tenten had read, he hadn't found anyone to love but nobody seemed to bat an eye or create scandalous talk out of it. It would be a much different issue for women altogether.

At this point, Sakura made an effort not to jump too quickly into the conversation out of her duty as a proper lady but inevitably she joined. It came as a surprise to some men in the table but hadn't felt bothered by it. Rather they felt encouraged when they had recognized Sakura to be one of Tsunade's apprentices.

Throughout the entirety of breakfast, Tenten remained quiet and listened since she couldn't contribute anything in their medical jumbled conversation. She almost sighed in relief when everyone finished and went off to their tasks.

Throughout the day, Tenten had accompanied Sakura and Tsunade as they did their rounds throughout the village. It seemed that all the citizens were in great chatter and gossip over the arrival of their country – it was expected but nonetheless there were mixed responses. She was glad that the majority of them were positive but once the afternoon hit, it seemed that all their real opinions and fears surfaced.

The stirring was initiated by phase one of the plan as the local orators were given news of "the regent king's coronation three days from now at this exact hour." Sakura and Tsunade were also caught up in the confusion of it all and expressed this freely towards their clients to ease their stresses over the possibility that Konoha had conspired to place one of their own to act as King.

Tenten remained silent on the matter and she was grateful that Sakura and Tsunade respected her lack of voice in the current gossip of town.

However when they were back in their hotel room, Sakura felt that it was safer to discuss the highlighted conversation of the day – the topic that would be on everyone's mind until the time would come. "So, I noticed Naruto isn't here." Sakura started off casually.

"Oh? I didn't notice." Tenten commented back. Naruto _was_ assigned to leave and find Lord Jiraya. Tenten just didn't know _when_ he left.

"I was under the impression that you did…" Sakura continued on in a singsong type pattern. "After all, you're part of RIC now… it's a brotherhood I hear – you all know about each other… kind of like a family."

"Right." Tenten agreed with a big smile. "I guess families have secret's too."

"Aw, come on!" Sakura whined. "Can you at least confirm that you're all part of this regent King business?" Tenten just shrugged.

"I've made vows Sakura."

"Yes…" Sakura pouted. "I know." Then giggled. "I should have expected that answer since I can't even get anything from Naruto." She playfully showed her tongue as a sign of defeat. "From now on, no more questions."

"We should get some sleep. It's going to be one hectic week." Tenten sighed as she forced her eyes to close despite the excitement flowing through her.

1

As the days ached closer to the coronation day, Tenten found herself accompanying Tsunade and Sakura less and less as she attended duties. In fact, the sight of seeing either Sakura or Tsunade would end up being a pleasant surprise. Tenten had mainly stayed inside the Uchiha castle.

It was odd that it was so empty.

She was used to hallways being lined up with soldiers, led by knights or the many servants walking in and out of rooms to do chores. It felt isolating hearing the sound of her footsteps – the sound of her own shallow breathes echo the walls.

It was haunting.

And the portraits strung on the walls that condescendingly look down at her didn't help either. Along her walk, she noticed a pair of familiar eyes that belonged to the late Sasuke Uchiha. He looked happy although his face didn't express it as boldly as it should but the _tiny_ sparkle in his eyes and slight smirk was enough for Tenten to know that he was satisfied with is life. Well, in all honesty, which royal wasn't?

As she continued on, she recognized that the next portrait belonged to Itachi and a wave of uncontrollable shivers ran down her spine as they engaged in a stare. He was different than Sasuke, not only was he noticeably older but he looked far more intimidating. Although his expression was unreadable – gentle _almost,_ she could sense the power that loomed over his shoulder.

"Tenten!" A powerful voice echoed all the way down the hallway.

It jolted the girl in a near heart attack as her head snapped up towards the direction of the voice.

It was Lee.

He jogged up to her and glanced at whatever she was looking at earlier. "Wow, would you look at that… May they rest in peace." There was a moment of silence as the two dwelt on those words before Lee energetically turned his attention towards her once more. "Sai just came by a while ago and informed us that the goods will be dropped off tomorrow sunrise." He said.

"I can't believe the coronation is happening tomorrow." She commented and looked back at the wall. This time se inspected the portrait of the late King Fugaku. His eyes were stern and his rigid frown left a slight chill that even Itachi couldn't match.

"We've been so busy that the last two days went by quickly. The citadel is teeming with all the different households and their soldiers. I think it's putting everyone on edge including the citizens and our own." Lee sighed and shook his head at the memory.

The citadel had gotten overcrowded since the migration of the lords who wished to make an appearance. After all, this surprise coronation concerned _their_ King and whom they would serve. Things could get ugly or turn out well. Either way, most brought their entire household and their armies. The army that accompanied each lord were never counted over 100 but nonetheless they were armed.

If they didn't like the King, there would be no hesitation to attack.

"At least the lord's are cooperating." She responded. "Despite the underlining tension going on towards the throne, they're smart by remaining tame. They know that a divided country will only continue to make them vulnerable. However, I can't quite say the same for their children." She snivelled in disgust as images of the household heirs loomed in her head.

Since the absence of Naruto, Tenten and Lee had been forced to step up in consoling with the lords. But Lee quickly noticed Tenten's knack for it and stepped down from the role so she could be effective in everything that she did.

After all, she had grown up as a servant for one Kumogakure Lord. She displayed maturity, wisdom, respect and insight when dealing with each household. And because of her great aptitude towards them, Lee focused his attention towards the citizens.

"I can feel their itch to start a revolt against us. Those fools think that _we're_ the problem to the weakened state." Tenten bit her lip as she expressed her growing disappointment. "In fact, much of them believe that it's the perfect time to grab hold of the Kingship. Despite the obvious investigations and paperwork, they're willing to skip all that."

"Young minds are rash and often times, not pretty." Lee reasoed. "I can also say that for us. None of us are a hair over 25." Tenten frowned at his observation. It had been true. Tenten, Neji and Lee were the oldest while Naruto and Kiba are a year younger. Despite their age, they held so much authority and power.

"It's a little disheartening to be honest. Whose to say that we won't fail our people?" Her question came out as a tiny whisper.

"With the discipline, wisdom and guidance from our elders and mentors, we are constantly being molded and reshaped into working vessels. We have to." Lee answered confidently.

A silence came before Lee walked off in a manner that suggested Tenten to follow. She did.

Although her break time had originally been planned for exploring the castle in search for ancient scrolls (that may or may not have spoken about chakra), she realized that she was missing companionship. She was glad Lee was there to accompany her. Meeting formally with lords socially drained her.

When they reached a certain part of the hallway, she realized that Lee was led her to the king's chambers.

"Oh right, your turn." She spoke as they walked inside. It was the duty for every RIC to inspect the room and make sure that it was not compromised in any way before Kakashi arrived. She gave him the space to work.

Instead, she wandered off to the balcony that overlooked the ballroom. There were many doors that connected to this giant room. One led to a washroom, another for a closet, an office, a balcony for the outside and the balcony that Tenten stood on.

Below, she could see the volunteers working on any last details for the setup. It clearly wasn't as elaborate as the other coronations she had heard about but she found that it was decent enough for something broadcasted on short notice. On either wall were soldiers, one representative from each household. It was one way to appease the mind of the lords. The place where she stood was the place where Kakashi would step out from and address the crowd.

Although they had the format planned, a lot of it would be improvised. Unlike other coronations where there would be jesters, singers and entertainment, everything they had planned was strictly reserved for speeches. The planned attire was black to show that they are mindful, respectful and still in grief over what had happened. Eventually, she left the balcony before it drew any more attention and snooped around in the office to pick up some literature.

After reading halfway through the thin history book of war tactics Lee declared that he had finished scanning the room. It was about that time she had to get back to work and attend house Mizushima for supper. She made a quick goodbye to Lee and was out of the castle and back to the busy streets of the citadel.

The citizens would clear a way for her as they murmured over her recent accomplishments, specifically her undefeated streak against each house's top lieutenants. Although she was titled as a RIC, she began to realize that people were only starting to understand her significance in the group.

Likewise, she was starting to understand how she ought to carry herself. It came surprisingly natural as people easily fed her ego with flattering and kind gestures. As she passed a row of hotels, owned by different houses, the soldiers that guarded the front would bow in her presence. She felt giddy at their show of respect and pride bubbled up.

"Does every RIC member feel this way?" She wondered.

Once she arrived at the entrance of _Lumiere_ , which was booked off by the entire Mizushima household, the two soldiers who guarded the front door stiffened their backs and puffed their chest. They slammed their spear's down as their other hand folded behind their back.

"At ease." Tenten commanded and they had done so, reverting back to their old position before she had arrived. She couldn't help but smirk from their obedience and she slipped inside before they saw.

A herald inside had announced her appearance in bold and power titles: "Royal Inner Circle Tenten of Konohagakure, first female in command under the first of Kings, House Hyuuga."

She stood by the door and waited for someone to escort her to wherever she ought to go. Without a moment's breath, a maidservant scurried off into the foyer and bowed before walking off. Tenten followed her into the common where Lord Mizushima was seated on the couch with his only and youngest son seated on his lap. His wife sat beside him while the older girls were scattered around.

"It's good to have you here with us Lady Tenten." Lord Mizushima said with a smile.

"Please, I am no lady and the honour is done to me." Tenten bowed her head.

"Now that the guest of honour has arrived, I believe we ought to start dinner." He stood and his family had followed him towards the dining room.

The maidservant who had led her there earlier had ushered her into her seat that was across from Lord Mizushima who sat at the other end of the table. The rest of the dinner had gone on smoothly. It was just like all the other high mannered events that she had observed as a servant.

She enjoyed their table conversations far more than the others. When they weren't talking about politics, Lord Mizushima was enthusiastic over Tenten and everything that she stood for. A few of his daughters hurriedly agreed as some expressed their desire to wield weapons. Once dessert had been finished, Lord Mizushima laid his napkin down and locked eyes with Tenten.

"So." He started. "I heard about your unbeatable winning streak against the other houses. I think it would only be fair that I place my lot in as well." He grinned, beckoning forth a soldier from the line. One-stepped out and Tenten couldn't help but raise her eyebrows at how handsome he was. "This is Lucas, vice-captain in training. He's just a little younger than you and I feel he'll be able to square off against you equally."

"Wait until she had digested her food darling." Lady Mizushima scolded her husband lightly.

"Of course. 30 minutes should be enough for both of them to prepare." He grinned and waved a careless hand around. The maidservant that was in charge of Tenten stepped forward and bowed head in response to her lord.

"If you will follow me, m'lady." She said softly and Tenten excused herself to do so.

Her appearance in an armoury immediately led away any soldiers in the room who scattered into the courtyard. Tenten's eyes glided over the various weapons on the rack and reached out for a long staff.

"Are you sure m'lady?" Tenten nodded, clutching on to it. The other spars with the other households were already fought with daggers, swords and spears. She made it her effort to fight with something new each time.

Once she had chosen her weapon, she followed the maid into the back where everything was nicely lit with torches and hanging lanterns. The tables that occupied the middle where pushed aside and the chairs that once complimented the tables were used to seat the viewers. The soldiers were gathered at one side while the Mizushima family sat on the other.

There were hollers from the soldiers as they cheered for whom ever they had placed their bet on. She could see that Lord Mizushima had a curious expression. She realized why when she stared at Lucas. He was fully armoured with a bladed spear whereas her tunics were only bound and covered by boiled leather.

"Those are bold choices." Lord Mizushima commented as he leaned in closer to his wife who hid her surprise under her fan. "I hope you're not looking down on my men."

"Not at all my Lord." Tenten said out loud as she positioned herself to get ready. "I just hadn't expected this to be so serious… my other spars didn't even use sharpened weapons." Her words began to fade softly as she prepared her mind for the next part.

Lucas also expressed the same level of enthusiasm and it was clear in his eyes that he had serious intents to _kill_ her.

But she showed no fear.

Fighting Kiba in the dark was frightening. Neji's with his all-seeing eyes was scary. Lee without his weights was scarier. Naruto in his demon fox mode was the scariest.

Lucas.

Lucas couldn't even compare.

"Begin." Lord Mizushima announced as he waved his hands. Just as Tenten finished inhaling, she opened her eyes to see that Lucas was running straight for her. As he jabbed his spear towards her direction, Tenten summersaulted back and countered by placing her staff in front of her.

The wood collided and Tenten forced twirled away his weapon _before_ she landed. The two caught a moment's breath as they analyzed each other. A smile crept on Tenten's face – she enjoyed how serious he was. The other fights that she had, the men never took her seriously until she proved herself but Lucas was serious from the start.

This time, Tenten decided to strike second and Lucas easily blocked it but was not anticipating her to utilize her body as she knelt and side swept him. To catch his fall, he quickly shoved the end of the spear behind him and kicked himself up before Tenten could strike again.

No matter how quick he was, he wasn't faster than Lee, more strategic than Kiba, stronger than Naruto or smarter than Neji. She won in a few long lasting minutes. They were both out of breath by the time they finished although Lucas more than Tenten.

She approached him and held out a hand. He grimaced but accepted her help. The crowd cheered loudly at the two. "Wonderful sportsmen ship." Lady Mizushima quipped with high applauds.

"Entertaining battle!" Lord Mizushima added. "Anyone else willing to spar with our guest?" Tenten frowned when he suggested that without consulting her.

She figured she needed practise anyways. So until it was the girl's bedtime, they figured that they'd put an end to the spars. She had nearly wiped the floor with perfect results except when she faced the vice captain near the end. She was already tired and that fight was a struggle to win but nonetheless won.

When she said her goodbyes to the girls, they all squirmed and tugged on their father to learn combat and specifically, to be taught by Tenten. Touched by their remarks, Tenten personally left each one of them with an advice.

After her goodbyes to Lord Mizushima she headed back to the castle.

This time, the streets were still busy as folks from all around the country and those outside rushed in to find rooms for the dedication tomorrow. Unlike the morning, people were less willing to clear a path for her now that her face blended within the shadows.

The castle entrance would have been a hassle to get in to if the patrolmen didn't know who she was. They let her pass and she went straight towards the servant's quarters. Lee was still awake as he debriefed with Neji over the day.

"Ah, right on time Tenten." Lee said and leaned against his bedpost. "Neji just finished – same old same old with the elders. Grumpy and on high alert but-" He stretched his arms under his head as he relaxed into sleep. "The citizen's are trying to be as festive as possible… for the most part anyways.

"A small resistant group had sprung up but so far they're willing to keep the peace until they know the results of the coronation. If they don't approve, they plan on rioting but I doubt they're as organized as they claim. If and I repeat, _if_ they plan on taking things to a violent level… it's nothing our army can't handle."

"That's assuming the houses won't take part in it." Tenten interjected, finding a seat on her bed. "But so far, everything is good. The lord's are prepared to fight anyone against their country and I reassured them that we're on their side."

"I've hear that they've really taken a liking to you." Lee said and flashed his smile as he teased. "So much so that some have asked that you ought to marry into their family." Tenten's cheeks turned a shade of red as a sequence of memories rolled into her head of the various proposals handed to her.

Although they might not have been serious, it was incredibly flattering. She caught Neji's subtle change in expression as his eyebrows shifted downwards to brood. It was a _slight movement_ so she wasn't sure if she was just reading into it.

"I can never imagine myself being addressed as a lady." Tenten giggled.

"Anything else to update us on?" Neji cut in, interrupting their friendly chatter.

"Just to add onto Lee's comment about the revolt. The lord's are tame but the heirs… something suspicion is among their midst. I feel that their gatherings are more than just friendly hangouts; rather I think they might be conspiring. That's just my suspicions."

"And how are the Yagami's?" Neji referred to the royal Uchiha's in-laws.

"They're doing well for the most part." Tenten frowned at the thought of the family in mourning. "They've vocally announced their support for us. A lot of it is thanks to Hisana's letters and since they're a wealthy family, they have a lot of influence and allies. A very important asset to have."

"Alright. That will be all." He said, closing off the meeting officially. Lee was already asleep so Neji stood and blew out the candle by Lee's candle before he settled into his own rickety single bed.

"How's Naruto?" Tenten asked. "Any news so far?"

"No." Neji shook his head. "But we're going to need him and Jiraiya. I'm sure Naruto knows what he's doing." He said before extinguishing the flame of his candle. The two embraced the darkness as they welcomed the rest.

123

Lee's shuffles woke Tenten up and she opened her eyes in defeat. Energy shot through her as her mind recognize the importance of the day ahead. When Lee left, she could see that Neji was still sound asleep. She took this as an opportunity to change into more appropriate clothes.

The darkness hid her naked body but she also had a hard time seeing. The only source of light was the faint outpour from the crack under the door. This outfit that she would change into wasn't just any outfit, it had many weapons attached to it.

"Tenten?" Neji's deep and groggly voice broke the silence. Tenten immediately jumped in place.

"Hi." She said in an awkward fit.

"Are you…?" He couldn't find his words but she could sense that he had turned his body against her direction to focus on the wall.

"Yeah, sorry. I thought you were sleeping."

"I was…" He muttered.

Another awkward silence.

"Well, hurry up. I can't stay here forever."

"Oh yes." She looked down at her revealed chest (she had managed to fit into her pant's without a problem). "If you don't mind, I just need to light a candle." Although she had a mental idea where everything was, she couldn't quite remember exactly where everything was.

By the time she realized where she was it was too late. Her shin hit Neji's bed and she found herself falling on him. "Ah, I'm so sorry." She squeaked and jumped off of him. She could hear that Neji has wormed his way closer to the wall.

"Just hurry up." He was mad.

So mad that she could hear his teeth grinding in annoyance. A sigh left her as she patted around his side table until she touched the match of boxes. In a quick and easy stroke, a flame erupted and waited for the wick to catch fire. One she could see, she scrambled to assemble her outfit together.

"Okay, I'm done." She stated but stayed to comb her hair into a high ponytail.

"Then leave." She stopped what she was doing to get a good look at him, hopefully to sneak in a glare. Unfortunately, he still had his body faced against her as he concentrated on the wall.

"What's your problem?" There was a huff before she walked through the door and slammed it shut. Her hair swished behind her untied. "Bloody hell, I left a hair tie in there." She grumbled but continued to make her confident yet slightly angry stomps towards the king's chambers where Sai would drop of the 'goods'.

1

Neji knew exactly why he was mad. He was mad that that his body reacted unpredictably to Tenten. Everything she said and did irked him. For the first time in his life, he was uncomfortable and not just to any stranger but towards his own teammate.

If this kept up, it could jeopardise the mission but more crucially: the team dynamic. Clearly he was exhausted from juggling everything and he decided that the best way to mend that was to get out of bed so he wouldn't surrender to the weight of sleep.

Once he was ready, he made sure to lock the door before he headed for the king's chambers. His gait was always quick, controlled and paced but today, his mood manifested in his walk: annoyed. His shoulders were square and tense, fists curled in a ball as he made light stomps. Most notably, his upper lip twitched up unconsciously whenever _she_ popped into his head.

It was good that the hallways were empty.

When he arrived, he mentally composed himself before opening the door. He looked up and saw that Sai's delivery arrived safely.

Kakashi was still draped and hidden under his heavy cloak. Neji made sure to lock the door behind him before he entered the circle of four. His eyes flickered at Tenten who had her arms crossed over her chest. As she waited for the debriefing, her brown hair curled and cascaded over her shoulders.

He snarled and looked away quickly towards Sai.

Why wasn't her hair tied up?

Long hair is always bad news for combat. He'll have to talk to her later.

"Good job Sai." Neji assured with a small nod while Sai responded with an appropriate bow.

"My pleasure." He stated quietly. He never really did like to talk loud. Next, Neji moved his attention towards Kakashi.

"How is everything my lord? Are you ready?"

"Ready as I can be. Sai and I managed to run by my home undetected and grabbed various attires. I'm uncertain if this would be adequate for a king." He swiftly pushed one side of his cloak to reveal his formal uniform as a soldier. "I also brought out another ensemble – less threatening and more silks."

"Perhaps that would be better." Lee jumped in. "We wouldn't want you to bear the title of a conqueror in the name of our country."

"Actually, I think bearing the Uchiha sigil with your military attire might be the kind of strength that people would look forward to seeing." Tenten suggested. "I believe that they will take it in the right direction. The people from Kumogakure have always held their pride and to see that a strong, faithful and loyal representation on the throne is stepping up in time of need would reduce the tensions from both the lords and the commoners."

There was a small chorus of murmuring agreement as they considered their comrade's words.

"What of the zealots?" Lee wondered. "Suppose they were to strike, I understand that our soldiers along with the other houses can take care of them easily but I fear that won't look well for their future king."

"I stand to correct according to my connections…" Sai interrupted.

Neji smirked and knew the reality of those words. There was not a corner in the world that Sai did not have eyes in.

"The zealots mean no harm but if they do find a reason to fight, they will… and they're sponsored. My sources have a hard time pinpointing which house it's from but they _are_ armed." Sai said.

"Even if they are being sponsored by a certain house. Neither the lords nor their men will fight along side them. I've made sure of that." Tenten commented as she folded her arms across her. Her expression showed great disdain as she shook her head in unbelief. "I have a feeling these sponsorships are happening behind the lord's back."

"For the most part yes." Sai agreed. "But I know Lord Akihiro of house Wanatabe has always had a lust for the throne – a throne that his ancestors once held. Some other houses still pledge loyalty under him though not publically. On top of that, the throne is at its most vulnerable state at the moment."

There was a small grumble from Tenten.

"The Uchiha's have reigned over Kumogakure for centuries, a near 500 years. The Wanatabe is no threat, I've inspected them myself and they are generous and honourable men."

"I don't mistrust your judgement and the work you've done but there are still a lot you must learn when it comes to the game of politics. Not everyone is bound to their honour as tightly as others. Their word nor their actions can truly reflect the motives of their heart." Neji didn't move a muscle but it was obvious that he along with the rest agreed with Sai except for Tenten who furrowed her eyebrows in slight frustration. She chose not to reply.

"So," Kakashi started, breaking the silence. "What am I to wear?"

"A combination that displays both strength and culture – a tribute to the country you serve and the family that you represent." Neji stepped in.

"I'm not very versatile in 'fashion'… so excuse me if I ask for assistance on the matter."

"It is no trouble at all." Neji stated. "Sai and I should be able to assist you. However, before we declare this meeting adjourned, is there any word on Naruto?"

"No news as of yet." Lee informed.

"Nothing from my sources either." Sai added. Neji's intrigue peaked as he commended Naruto for being unfound – even by Sai's eyes.

"And what of your council Kakashi? Do you know the men you are to honour?"

"I do. I have plans to anoint Lord Masaaki of house Yagami as the overseer of finances," Neji nodded in approval.

Lord Masaaki was the late Princess Hisana's uncle and was known to be wise in financial dealings. "I desire to promote a various amount of people to keep the peace and find suitable men to replace the Royal Raitons." That was their version of the Royal Inner Circle. Sadly, it had been reported that they had died along with the ship and among the other clansmen of the Uchiha back in their mainland. "And various others you will hear off during my speech no doubt."

"And if they were to refuse their titles?" Neji asked.

"I have my back up plans as well. Rest assured. Although the late king Fugaku preferred a small council – I will have to raise the seats since I must make sure that my countrymen outnumber your representatives. I appreciate the three you have given but it does put some stress on the situation. Just a reminder that our countries were never this friendly until just a decade ago."

"Yes I understand and I will be sure to send the elders back once everything is stable. Hopefully Naruto has found Jiraya and they are on their way."

"I'm sure they will be." Kakashi smiled. "My old friend and mentor was always late but never absent."

By the time Neji and Sai finished helping Kakashi fit a proper outfit, Neji left Sai with him. He traversed through the castle and looked over last minute details.

Lee was outside to keep an eye on the people while Tenten was talking to various house representatives in the ballroom. Her hair was still loosely flowing down her back that softened her sharp features… it made her more feminine and he could see that the male soldiers were kinder.

It irked him; he hated women's charms.

He walked his way towards her and noted the long table that was against the wall that shared the king's balcony. That was where the panel was supposed to remain seated throughout the ceremony.

"Tenten." He called out. She turned her head towards his direction and her smile deflated into a small frown.

"Commander." There was no threat or anger in her voice except to display her slight surprise.

"I had wanted to talk about your hair." It felt weird when it left his lips and he could see that Tenten also responded in confusion.

She had grown flustered and combed it over her shoulder to inspect it. By that time, the solider had gone back to his post (a little disheartened that he had to leave the conversation without a proper resolute).

"It would be very ineffective if battle were to foresee us." Her face immediately relaxed as she realized what his intentions were.

"I was in the middle of fixing it but if I recall properly. Someone was in a hurry for me to leave."

Neji frowned.

"Here take mine then." He pulled out the only tie that held his hair in a low ponytail and handed it to his teammate.

It meant nothing more than comradeship, he reassured himself.

"Oh, thanks." She felt uneasy but she accepted it anyways. She proceeded to bundle up her hair in a messy fashion that struck a horror to Neji. He immediately grabbed her wrist from furthering her action and led her into an empty hallway away from everyone.

"Please, have a little more dignity. You will be representing Konoha on top of being in the presence of many lords and ladies." He reprimanded lightly as he grabbed the tie from her hand and spun her around. His long fingers combed out Tenten's soft silky hair in an elegant single bun.

When he had finished, he turned her back around and played with her bangs, combing them over her forehead unlike the usual part. "There." He stepped back to inspect his work. He was so focused on her hair that he failed to see Tenten's heated cheeks. Before he _could_ see her face, she lightly punched his arm to draw his attention elsewhere.

"Where the heck did you learn to do hair?"

He pressed his lips together into a straight line before reluctantly motioning towards his own long hair. "Ah, right." Tenten looked. "but that doesn't explain your skill in styling it."

He didn't like how she pressed on the topic; it was a topic that had never crossed his lips before.

"Sometimes, Hanabi would make me do her hair and Hinata would teach me." Was all he said before he quicked his pace. Tenten easily caught up, skipping with each step as she discovered a softer side of Neji.

"Does that mean you know how to do makeup too?" She poked her head in his view.

He looked away as he gave her a low grumble.

"I take that as a yes!" She giggled.

The both of them entered into the ballroom where the lords and their houses were starting to enter. Neji took that as a sign to attend the elder's last meeting.

The meeting was surprisingly smooth considering that the last three days were spent trying to soothe their great appal towards the surprise coronation.

"This was not part of the plan!" The grand elder Katsuo responded with great disgust. It was no surprise that he showed great disdain; after all, he was a commander that led wars against the Uchiha's in his younger years. "What has happened to our proud name and our country? We already lowered ourselves by helping Kumogakure get back on its feet. _Not_ _give them a_ King!"

"Yes, yes, I agree with elder Katsuo. This is swooping too low for my taste. Must we fix all their problems? Surely they will be better off if they surrender to us and swear loyalty to our king. The only time I would agree to such a thing is if one of our qualified country men act as king reagent." It was Elder Nori's turn to speak.

"Gentlemen." It was Yulie who broke the chorus of murmured agreements. "Must we look for trouble in time of peace? Our country hadn't needed to expel blood or rip families apart for the past decade. Must I remind you also that Kumogakure has helped us in our own economic troubles?

"Not only that, the army that had slain the entire Uchiha clan _including_ the Royal Raiton's have already proved that they can adequately annihilate our own. It is best that we stand strong _together._ Besides, if we were to take them in as our own, that will be a massive amount of further responsibilities."

There were some agreements towards him but the grand elder's sniped at his response. Everyone knew of Yulie's unorthodox ways.

"I also agree with Elder Yulie." Grand Elder Ryuunosuke low and bold voice echoed across the chamber. It silenced everyone and drew their attention.

He in his 70's yet didn't look a day over 50's. His thick muscles still made him look menacing along with his gray thick long hair that had once been coloured a deep dark black. He carried the title of being a devil on the battlefield.

He had been one of the forefathers to RIC and had been one of the members to rediscover chakra. He rarely spoke unless he needed to and he sided with justice and with peace. He was the second elder to know who the King would be and become part of Kakashi's council.

It was said that Ryuunosuke had spared Kakashi as a child and even mentored him for a bit.

Now that the meeting was over, he led the elders into the ballroom where they preoccupied a special corner. Each household was seated near the front while the back was left for early commoners. It was packed and filled with chatter and the air felt stiff and warm from all the people.

Neji scanned the panel table that everyone faced to see that it was still empty of Jiraya and he had to admit that he was started to feel nervous. Other than a missing Jiraya, Captain Yamato, Lord Masaaki Yagami, and a few others whom had come from prestigious houses occupied the table.

Both Elder's Yulie and Ryuunosuke excused themselves to join the panel, drawing out another wave of topic conversation. Neji stood behind them to the corner while Lee was near the entrance and Tenten on the side, near the middle.

The various amounts of soldiers and their men surrounded the ballroom. The volunteered musicians waited on the theatre balcony for Neji's nod.

This signalled a trumpeter to draw the crowd's attention as it commanded "Please rise for the national anthem." They all did in a clatter of boots and seats shuffling (except for the commoners who were given no seats).

No main vocalist accompanied the song but the citizens sang along the proud and loud beats of its national anthem. It was smooth and solemn and brought tears to the occupants of the land. The elders stood still and proud as they kept their mouths respectively closed as they listened. Neji was thankful for that.

When melody had passed, the trumpeter said in a loud voice "Please remaining standing as we take a moment of silence over the lives that have been lost. From the house Uchiha of the late King Fugaku," And so on he began to list the documented lives that had been lost and followed with the other involuntary causalities.

It was long and painful but needed.

Everyone tensed until the list had finished, a few more moments of silence pressed on before a melody broke through the atmosphere. A young girl stood from the other end as she began to sing a powerful song once used to commemorate their dead. When she finished, no one clapped despite the wonderful performance and they all sat back in their seats to proceed with the ceremony.

A Kumogakuran historian had introduced the audience with a powerful and welcoming speech. He then went on to give a short history of their country and ended with "thus it is my honour to introduce the new regent king. As written in the will of our late King: 'If a matter of an unexpected death, if my sons can not take the throne by any means because of illness or death, nor any of my brothers, cousins and fellow clansman, then I anoint Kakashi Hatake, first commander and previous overseer of the Royal Raiton and war advisor, Overlord of the East and godfather to my son, to take over as regent king until it is seen fit to replace him whether by the Uchiha blood or blood of his own."

The flood doors to the balcony opened in correspondence to the announcing trumpet. There were auditory gasps that tensed Neji's muscles. He could feel the atmosphere shift into deep waters.

"I am present to fulfill my role as Reagent King until the time is due when a suitable Uchiha takes heir to the throne. I understand there will be many questions concerning my absence and my living. Questions I will address.

"I had arrived to Konohagakure with the royal family but on departure, I had not joined them on their trip back. Rather I chose to traverse on land in order to meet with previous friends who had served with me when the peace treaty was still at its work. Therefore I had not been present during the attack on the ship.

"Once I heard of the news, I had kept my presence hidden until I had gathered people I trusted. There was much to wait on and much o consider. For one, when and _how_ I should act." There were many murmurs among the crowd but the most of them seemed to relax after accepting his explanation. "In fact, I know that during the aftermath of the chaos, many of you had made the effort to track these men down. You were not alone in that, I too, had gathered trusted men to investigate.

"For those who are still feeling uneasy over the presence of Konoha, I assure you that they were not involved in the murder. Instead, they are making every effort to help build Kumogakure up by offering their resources to us as was witnessed the past few months. Naturally, two elders from their council have become members of my small council."

There was a wave of scattered gasps and shocks. Neji could see that the crowd tensed at the increase of Konoha diplomats. He glanced up at Kakashi, hoping that he would say the right words soon before the inevitable approached.

"However, they have little to no say on our rulings, just like Jiraya, they hold passive positions. In addition to Elder Yulie and Elder Ryuunosuke," Both men nodded at the crowd to address their presence. "I have increased the members of the small council – adding two new additions on top of the previous three."

"Before I introduce the new council, I shall have the two Elders introduce themselves." Kakashi turned his head towards the two Hyuuga's sitting in front of Neji. Out of courtesy to the older Hyuuga, Ryuunosuke addressed the crowd first.

He stood proud and tall. His chest puffed up and his face unmoved like stone while he delivered his short and simple speech.

"I am Grand Elder Ryuunosuke Hyuuga, Eye of East, Lord over Cliff's Falling, Forever a Royal Inner Circle Member and Veteran of the Tale's End. I will watch over my country men who fight as warriors by yours." His bold and dark voice echoed off the walls as he sat down.

Neji observed the crowd and could see that they've gotten nervous. If the titles weren't enough to scare people (since surely not everyone was accustomed to Kohonagakuran history), then his menacing look was a clear indication of his grandeur.

However, for Neji, he knew that being an Eye declared the act of being an Overlord over the entire eastern side of Konohagakure. On top of that, Cliff's Falling was an impeccable area of land that was near impossible to infiltrate and was rich in fishing resources. Along side those titles, for a Royal Inner Circle to live as long as he had was a feat. Many RIC throughout history have given their lives for their country, most often never surving over 10 years in service. Ryuunosuke lived during a harder time than most.

Lastly, being a Veteran of the last war between Konohagakure and Kumogakure called Tale's End was putting it lightly He was the one to lead the final battle. With men by his side, he singlehandedly defeated over 300 men including the last king before declaring a peace treaty. Despite him gaining the title of Devil amongst his countrymen, Mercy Giver was his title here.

With much honour, it seemed almost idiotic to give up that prestige to live in an entirely new country. However, Ryuunosuke claimed that he had lived his life well and handed his position to his eldest son who was much like his father in many ways. Besides that, Ryuunosuke had no wife to call his own since she died during Tale's End.

The next to stand was Elder Yulie who was not as muscular or intimidating as Ryuunosuke but surely, carried an air of intelligence.

"Greetings my fellow men." There was a slight murmur in the crowd at his chosen words appeared to be insult the people. Sensing this, Yulie offered a soft smile to appease for the moment and raised his hands in to suggest his nonthreatening presence.

"As my title suggests, I am part of the council of elders for the King of Konohagakure and although I am a Hyuuga – a proud one at that," He casted his eyes on the group of his colleagues before going back to address the Kumogakuranites. "I am also a married one, if you please. Let me introduce my wife." He raised his right hand and motioned towards one of the small balconies that were connected to rooms given to the highest of guests.

There was a wave of audible gasps as the women stood and offered the crowd a courtesy. Behind her stood 4 girls, no doubt their daughters. Murmurs quickly spilled into the mouths of the people as they recognized who she was – even the elders showed their slightly disapproval with subtle grimaces.

"Now I know my wife is fully capable of introducing herself," The couple shared a loving stare despite the distance. "But for this moments sake, let me do the honours. Esther Hyuuga, Lady of Is and originated from House Angustie." Neji's eyebrows rose as he stood oblivious to the title but he could read the people's lips: "Princess of the Eastern Forest".

Now that, was something he was familiar with.

The Eastern Forest was a proud feat in Kumogakure – a massive expanse of hostile, impenetrable yet beautiful land that acted as a natural barrier to ward off enemies. The war of Tale's End proved that. Although the Eastern Forest was within the borders of Kumogakure, they preferred to keep to themselves. There were many rumours that the Forest people still practised magic or chakra as Neji believed it to be.

He couldn't believe that Yulie was married to 'royalty' and a Kumogakuranite at one. He smirked, no wonder he was passionate about their countries relational ties and no wonder he suffered marginalization from the rest of the Elders. Yulie was a powerful ally, he knew.

"And so," Yulie continued. "I am one of intellectual pursuits. I will manage the resources being poured into Kumogakure and I hope to add value to the conversations taken place." There was an uncomfortable silence as the people failed to respond accurately. In one truth, he would be the first foreigner to engage in their politics _actively_ but at the same time, he wasn't a complete foreigner by law/marriage. He sat down back down and gave Kakashi the signal to go on.

"Now to introduce the remainder of my council. Lord Masaaki shall be Finance Overseer." The crowd approved with small smiles and delicate nods. Lord Masaaki had a history with his ability to save the country from an economic distress of inflation. Everyone also knew that he was taking his youngest nephew into mentorship: a nephew who had a quick wit and natural talent when dealing with money.

"I re-commission Kenshi Yoshida to serve as overseer of Royal Raitons and welcome Bori Wanatabe as the new military overseer. Along with them, Dr. Atsuko Fujimoto will act as the Grand Bookkeeper and Advisor. As for these foundational roles, I will introduce two new titles that will be in charge of foreign relations which will be handed down to Hachirou Kubuki while internal relations shall be handed down to John Angustie." There seemed to be no objects and no signs of open rebellion.

"As for my last act of honours, I shall promote Captain Yamato Tenzo to become the right hand of the King." There were surprises all around – even Yamato himself seemed genuinely caught off guard. "If, there are no objections from the participants of course." Kakashi looked at the table below him.

All the members stood and raised a closed fist over their hearts, drumming a strong beat against their chest in three concise unified counts before shouting out "For the King" in bold voices, signalling their acceptance over the matter. Once they finished their act, they sat back down.

Kakashi went on to continue to the next portion of his speech, which was a long benevolent and eloquent rundown of how he would conduct himself and how he would rule Kumogakure.

Halfway through Neji noticed that Lee was no longer at his post. At first he was worried but upon now sign of commotion, he relaxed. That was, until he noticed that Lee had re-entered the ballroom looking a little distraught.

He made his way to Tenten.

The two exchanged a few words before they both left a concerned Neji.

123

"Where are they?" Tenten asked softly as they made quick yet composed gait down the hallway.

"In here." Lee commented, pointing at their sleeping quarters. He made three confident knocks on the familiar door before they were welcomed by a friendly albeit tired face. Tenten sighed in relief when she saw the Naruto before her.

"I trust that you can handle whatever it is that Naruto needs, I on the other hand, must get back to Neji." Lee informed the both of them before leaving in a flash. Just as he left, Tenten hurried inside and her mouth gaped upon seeing a badly bruised Jiraya laid out on Neji's bed.

"You're my only resort Tenten." Naruto said with such emotion that she froze. She couldn't possibly do anything beyond what Naruto had already done. It was a pity. She had heard so much about him.

Her lips stuttered as she approached the near fainted man anyways and examined him to the best of her abilities. "I had managed to catch up to him and fend of the final blow from the enemy. I hadn't been able to catch a good look at the person before they retreated and I exhorted a good chunk of my chakra into him just to keep him breathing."

"What makes you think I can…" Her voice trailed off to open up his bloodied cloth only to reveal a much graver wound than she had previously realized. She gulped, ready to give up but once she glanced up at the broken face of Naruto, she kicked her gears and stood. With force, she ripped off the blankets from one of the beds and tore it into strips. "I need water, ASAP." She commanded, rolling up her sleeves in the meantime.

Naruto grabbed the large bucket of water near the door – water used for washing one's face early in the morning – and situated right beside Tenten.

"Why not Tsunade?" Tenten grumbled loudly as she heaved to get the dirty blankets off of Jiraya to replace it with clean ones.

"He made me promise to not let Tsunade see him like this."

"Sakura?"

"Strictly RIC business." She could tell that he didn't like it either but he was loyal to his country like that. While Tenten laboriously sunk a wad of cloth into the water, the door shook as loud obnoxious knocks disturbed their concentration. They chose to ignore it but eventually, Tenten snapped her head towards Naruto and he was already on his feet.

His irritation yanked the door open in quickness and in strength. "What?" He snapped but immediately shut his mouth when he realized who it was. Tenten glanced up from her bloodied hand to see Lady Esther Hyuuga rolling up her sleeves.

Tenten's eyes widened as the women commanded the water from the bucket with a simple wrist flip.

"Step aside." She commanded and Tenten did.

123

Neji was able to let out a comforting sigh when he stepped off the platform. After what seemed like a few hours that involved more speeches from each individual council memeber and more performances, it had finished.

The ballroom was in the process of being cleared for a small break until the feast that would be held out into the castle courtyard. They only invited those of prestige since the castle couldn't afford anything grand. He was thankful for the small break.

That way he could figure out what had happened.

He eventually found Lee but he so preoccupied with the crowd that Neji knew it was near impossible to approach him so he left to go find Tenten. At first he wandered aimlessly until he saw used his byakugan to find her.

She stood outside the empty hallway of the servant's quarters and neared her location.

Her hands and clothes were matted with dry blood. Her hair was in disarray as some strands fell loosely over her ear and she was slumped over against the wall. She was so exhausted that she didn't even notice him. Neji could feel his heart sink and his steps quicken towards her.

 _Was she hurt?_

Her eyes were distantly dazed on the floor but eventually, when his shoes were in her view; she looked up with a tired smile.

He couldn't find the words to say – he didn't know what to ask first. Luckily, he didn't have to decide as Tenten took the initiative to answer his unspoken questions.

"Naruto's back with Jiraya." She started off. "Jiraya's had it rough but somehow Lady Esther found out and had done these amazing things with water and healing-" She paused, knowing she had gotten ahead of herself. Neji always had a feeling that the Eastern Forest dealt with and maintained the ancient art of chakra. "You can visit him but he's out cold. We suspect that he may be asleep for more than a week or so, perhaps bed ridden for a month… Other than that, there isn't much to say. Certainly Jiraya had followed a good lead but it had cost his life and the only way we can retrieve it is if he's awake."

"What of Naruto?"

"Once Jiraya was stabilized, Naruto's body shut down to sleep. He had poured a lot of chakra into Jiraya."

"I see." Neji clicked his tongue. "Our plans will be held back by a bit… The elders will be restless to go back but perhaps it would be good to send Naruto back with them rather than I." Tenten let out a stifled laugh and Neji raised his eyebrow in confusion – he was certain he hadn't said anything funny.

"Will you do alright here? I can't imagine you walking around interacting with the Kumogakuran people." As much as Neji wanted to argue that he was fully capable of taking care of himself, he knew Tenten was right. The past week, Neji hardly interacted with the others nor had he desired to since he was so focused on the Hyuuga elders.

"I'll find a way." He smirked.

"You always do." She agreed. There was a type of fondness that her words suggested. It spoke of their closeness as friends.

Neji felt his chest stir uncomfortably at her comment but it wasn't necessarily unpleasant. There was a moment of silence between them, unsure of what to say next until Tenten let out a sigh. "There's more I must tell you."

Neji looked up.

"Lady Esther had revealed to me the past of my mother." He grew curious but chose not to say anything as he waited for her to talk. "I found out my mother had grown up in a village… in the Eastern Forest."

His eyes widened.

"There is still much I need to know but Lady Esther had said she would be willing to mentor me in chakra."

Neji took a deep breath.

"And what says you?" He asked, knowing the answer yet for some odd reason, felt disheartened by it.

"I want to go." She said confidently, staring straight into his eyes. "I know that I will be aba-" He stopped her before she could goon her list of pros of why she had to go.

"I do not need convincing." Neji said. "This will do you well." He managed to string in a smile and raise a hesitant hand. "Take care of yourself Tenten…" He said as he gently laid it on her shoulder. "And learn lots."

"I always do." She gave him an endearing smile.

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EDITED VERSION

I'm still here! #busybusy


	6. Chapter Five: In the Stillness

Chapter Five: In the Stillness

The hallways were empty or at least, it _felt_ empty. There were soldiers lined up from time to time and maids scurried across the marbled floor to get the castle as clean as it should be. Yet despite all the people around him, Neji felt alone.

Naruto was probably home in Konohagaure along with Lee and Tenten had gone off with Lady Esther… or should he say, Princess Esther? He wasn't 100% certain how he should address her now that they were in her country… did this mean that her husband would be addressed as Prince rather than Elder?

He never expected to feel so foreign in a place that he had frequented but again, when he did visit in the past, it was with Naruto, Hinata, and yes, even Sasuke that made him feel welcomed. Rather than the peaceful stillness of solitude, Neji felt restless. As he continued on his walk, he heard a voice call out to him. He stopped, stepped back and realized that it was Elder Yulie who had called from his room. Neji approached the open door.

"You requested for me?" Neji asked, slightly eager to do something useful but so far, with Jiraya down, he could do nothing.

"Come, let me invite you for some tea. I'm missing company now that my family is spread out across the country." Yulie smiled and motioned with an elegant hand that held onto a cup of tea for Neji to close the door. Once Neji had settled himself down, Yulie had poured a cup for him.

"I hear that you have an interest for tea, you'll be glad to know that my wife is a wonderful brewer." He smiled as he placed the pot back onto its saucer. Neji kindly reached for the hot cup that spitted wisps of aroma into the air. When the liquid touched his tongue, he was amazed by the complex yet harmonious taste that warmed his throat.

"Right?" Yulie beamed proudly. "Although my wife disliked herbology, I'm glad that her mother insisted." He enjoyed the taste despite the pallet being far different from what he worked with.

The taste was a reflection of the Kumogakuran country – strong, slightly bitter reflecting high tones of an icy after taste that warmed Neji's tongue with an odd complimentary of sweetness. He remained silent and enjoyed the taste and more so enjoyed the company.

He had never heard of a man speak so openly about how much he loved his wife. Amongst the Hyuuga clan, speaking so affectionately over one's own wife was considered a sign of weakness and it was a firm belief that tender words ought to remain within the bedroom. But again, Neji reminded himself that he shouldn't be surprised considering that it was Elder Yulie.

"How are the council meetings?"

"Good." Yulie smiled behind his cup. Both knew that Yulie couldn't go into further detail nor should Neji pry any further.

"How goes your brother-in-law?"

Yulie chuckled at his question.

"I must say… the Angustie family have perfected the professional face. It's quite eerie to be honest. I'm used to John's friendliness but to see him so stoic and thoughtful brought me great discomfort. It was like he was a completely different person." He paused, reflected then continued on.

"My wife is the greatest at this of course. She is the most adorable, cutest, loving, affectionate, strong-headed woman I have ever known. Yet when it comes to the public in sight of the court, she is the most composed, independent, delicate flower." Yulie's eyes remained squinted as his pride glowed at the thought of her.

The two continued sipping their tea in silence, and although they no longer shared words, they both felt at peace. Perhaps it was because in the midst of being in a foreign place, they found comfort in their shared blood.

The stillness of the atmosphere allowed Neji to wander off to the recent yet seemingly distant memory of the day his comrades departed…

The sky was a beautiful chroma blue that reflected the atmosphere of Kumogakure. The citizens were light hearted, thrilled and happy as they gladly accepted their new king, the competent council and the departure of the Konohagakuran oligarchy.

Likewise, the elders were glad to leave and get back home.

Oddly enough, Neji, Lee and Tenten both agreed that it was probably for the best that Naruto was in deep recovery so he wouldn't have to make a giant fuss over needing to stay by his mentor's side. But even then, Neji knew that the weight of Jiraya's life had now fallen on his shoulders. It was a big responsibility that made Neji break a sweat.

The Elders were lined up and ready to go into _Victory_ while the majority of their scholars chose to stay until the next pick up from _Victory._ Neji stood by the king and his councils as they all gathered by the port to watch _Victory_ leave. Tenten also stood by his side while Lady Esther stood behind them with her family.

Each Elder bowed their head respectively as they made their way up the steps and into the boat that would take them home. The last people that they had said goodbye to was Minako, Captain, Sakura and Lee.

"Long may you reign." Minako announced to King Kakashi before he placed a solid closed fist over his heart.

Neji would have to get used to giving him that title.

Likewise, the Captain of the boat, Sakura and Lee all followed in pursuit as was customary for the Kumogakuran's. Minako and the Captain were the first to leave while Sakura and Lee lingered behind in the presence of their friends.

"Good luck Rook! I expect a lengthy story when we get back on our runs." Lee smiled brightly as he purposely messed up Tenten's hair. There was laughter in her smile as she looked up to pout. Even through that small gesture, Neji could see that they were close – far closer than he and Tenten was.

He shook the small disheartened feeling away as Lee approached him. He pulled out a handshake but was met with a friendly hug instead.

 _Classic Lee_.

Neji smiled as he accepted the hug and patted his best friends back. "May the gods be with you." Lee told him as they parted and waited by the entrance of the boat for Sakura who made a lengthy farewell to Tenten. He heard a snippet of their conversation in which Sakura moped about wanting to stay but couldn't. When Sakura eventually left her, she offered Neji a curtsy, likewise towards the King and his council before linking an arm around Lee as he led her up the ramp.

When they arrived on top of _Victory_ , a set of workers pulled the hefty path into the boat, closed the gate and all waved goodbye to the countrymen they were leaving behind.

"Hopefully the seas will be kinder." Tenten said softly. Her eyes lingered on the boat that disappeared into the open blue sky.

"It's an odd phenomenon but there are nearly no waves when exiting the country." It was Esther who answered her and Neji who had to bite his tongue.

He felt slightly disappointed that someone had beat him to the answer, he tossed the feeling aside quickly. After all, he was certain that he'd be able to catch a conversation with her on their travel back to the castle.

However, the two comrades remained silent.

Tenten was in deep thought and Neji didn't want to disturb her as she mentally prepared for her own departure. Although he respected her, he longed for at least one small conversation.

Which comrade wouldn't?

Especially in a time when all his teammates were leaving him behind, wanting a decent conversation was normal. This was nothing out of the ordinary therefore, striking a conversation shouldn't have to be this difficult but it was.

By the time they finally reached the gates of the castle, he had no chance to begin one. Tenten had slowly merged with Lady Esther's family and joined their company instead.

Which gave him no purpose to remain any longer. Thus he left to attend Jiraya who had moved away from the servant's quarters to a safe room within the royal family's hallway. When Neji stepped inside, Sai was in the corner of the room keeping watch.

"No improvements?"

"None." Sai commented, slipping away from the windowsill and walked towards Jiraya's bed.

"What about Lady Esther's herbs? Did they do anything to improve his condition?"

"They have but it's hard to be certain how far they've helped. None of us here are really qualified to be making judgements." Sai crossed his arms over his chest as he watched the subtle rise and fall of Jiraya's chest. "As far as we're concerned, Lady Esther had given us enough medicine for a fortnight but nothing more."

"I'm sure she knows when to send more."

"She better." Sai spoke. "Although she's married to Yulie Hyuuga, her true alliance and blood lies with Kumogakure." Neji was slightly taken a back by Sai's comment. "Her entire household is hard to read… and we can't ignore the fact that someone clearly tried to pin the blame on our country. Whoever they are, they're trying to start something and Jiraya suffered for knowing the truth. "I would tell Tenten to keep her guard… but from what I've heard, its seems that her blood also originates from this country."

Neji knew that Sai was right but oddly, he felt irritated by his friend's words and the meanings behind them. Perhaps he would have been far more agreeing to them many years back – when he believed birthrights predetermined destiny and fate.

When he was a child he believed that his fate was tied to his blood and his position in his family. Until Naruto proved him wrong.

His eyebrows furrowed with dissatisfaction at the memory and he was pulled out of it from Sai's continuing rant. "And in all honesty, her knighting as a fellow RIC was far too spontaneous. From my vast knowledge, she was not even a citizen of our country for more than half her life! While the rest were spent being a maid under a Kumogakuran family… I don't discredit women from serving but her physical capacities are far from what it should be."

"Sai." Neji snapped. "Although you were once and will always be considered part of our brotherhood, you are talking slander against a RIC member. Hold your tongue or there will be repercussions. At the same time, it would be wise of you to reflect on your own origins as well." There's a pause in their conversation before Neji cleared his throat to continue. "What of the news of your birds and spiders? Aren't they enough to report back to you without us having to doubt Tenten?"

Sai shifted his weight as he glared at the non-moving Jiraya.

"If I had found a way into that forest, I'm fairly certain that I would not be as cautious as I am. The mere fact that it's nearly impossible to get access to should be warning enough of the many secrets the Augustie family holds."

"Yet here they are, stepping out of the forest to be part of the council. Must I remind you that during the war of Tale's End, they held no part until they're own land was trespassed, they hold no serious alliances – not to Kumogakure."

"Which makes them unpredictable."

"Or malleable." Neji offered with slight optimism. "Lady Esther holds a considerable amount of power and influence… and who could sway her thoughts? Is it not Elder Yulie? Her own husband?"

"Relationships are fickle. Families are not perfect. They are fragile and easy to break." Neji's brow furrowed.

He believed those very words that Sai spoke off but he found himself opposing him with flustered frustration. "Yet despite the setbacks they faced before, Elder Yulie and Lady Esther are still married to each other faithfully for nearly over 30 years."

Sai paused and thought for a moment before he replied.

"If that is the case, then we can use that to our advantage..." Sai said. His eyes still suggested that he was deep in thought. "Get close to Yulie and find out things about him that I could not."

Sai finally looked back at Neji with a reflected confidence as they engaged in a duel of stares. Neji pursed his lips, finding no objection as to why he shouldn't and it seemed that Sai also understood. Their mutual silence was an agreement to this.

"Good." Sai broke off their eye contact and made his way back to the windowsill. He smiled at Neji. "It looks like you should leave now if you want to catch a farewell with Tenten."

Although he was slightly drawn back at the mention of this, his face remained expressionless when he left the room. Throughout his travel towards the front of the castle, his thoughts were drowned in the mysteries of what lay within the Eastern Forest. But once he saw Tenten, his mind cleared.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips at the sight of Tenten's acknowledged wave. She ran towards him but stopped before they got too close. With her hands clasped behind her back and with her large smile, she said in such a sweet voice, "Neji, I'm glad you're here!"

He couldn't stop the smile that crept onto his face. "Well, as your captain, it is my duty to see you off."

She laughed a little.

"I'll take it." Her smile widened so brightly that her eyes looked as if they were closed. "Everyone has their family and loved ones to see them off and I guess you're the closest thing I have to family now." Her eyes wandered to the floor in thought and Neji was thankful of this – his heart seemed to leap out of his chest and he wasn't sure how his face looked.

Hopefully his cheeks weren't red.

Hopefully his face didn't appear odd.

"Well including Lee, Naruto, Kiba, and Akamaru. My family really has expanded." She looked up with such a sincere yet small smile that Neji lost all previous thoughts. Instead his heart was glad for her.

"And you might even find some relatives down in the Eastern Forest." He nudged, crossing his arms over his chest as he raised an eyebrow to match his curiosity.

"In all honesty, I'm doubtful." Yet her smile never left. "But I am excited to learn… maybe then I can open up my chakra and I can truly be part of the RIC." Neji unfolded his arms slowly before he placed a hand on the top of her head.

"You already are a RIC member." He told her and he couldn't help but see Tenten under a more feminine light as her head tilted low, her eyes widened and her cheeks reddened.

It invoked an unfamiliar emotion in him.

He didn't quite know what it was but it made him feel light and content.

"I mean, you still have much to learn." He pulled his hand back. "But nonetheless, you are a RIC. Carry that title, hold it close to your heart and let it uplift you on your pilgrimage."

"I will Neji. Thank you." The two lingered there for a seemingly long time. Both were unsure of how to continue the conversation or if they even should. It seemed their final farewells were already expressed – did that mean they could both leave without actually have to say 'goodbye'?

Just when Tenten was about to prod Neji's own situation as another conversation topic, a distant voice called out to her. It signalled the both of them that it was now time for her to go. The two shared a knowing look as they both approached the carriage surrounded by the Angustie family.

The daughters were already inside while Lady Esther, who didn't look like a lady now that her attire were scandalously masculine, was still wrapped within her husband's arms. He tenderly whispered sweet nothings into her ears as she giggled into his shoulder before her 2nd older brother John forced out a cough.

She shared one final kiss with her husband – one that received groans from their children before she jumped into the cart. The door was kept open for Tenten and she glanced once more at Neji.

"I guess this is goodbye." She shrugged.

"I guess so."

"Bye Neji."

"Bye Tenten." And she skipped inside before their chauffeur closed the door shut. Neji was left with Yulie, Alexander, Isaiah and John; his wife and children, before the carriage passed the castle gates into the busy streets of The Citadel.

Now everyone was gone and Neji was alone.

There was a peaceful stillness ringing in the air as Neji became aware of his extended visit. It would be appropriate for him to leave now but it seemed that Elder Yulie didn't mind.

Neji glanced at the older man whose eyes were concentrated on enjoying the view out the large windows of his balcony but even Neji could tell that his mind was elsewhere. Instinctively, he cleared his throat as a subtle indication to move into a conversation.

Yulie's glazed eyes wandered towards the much younger man.

"Any news of more medicine? It has almost been a fortnight and there is still no word from your wife."

Yulie's mouth opened but he paused. Instead he offered Neji a comforting smile.

"Actually, this is partially the reason why I have invited you." Elder Yulie stood and made his way to the balcony. At first Neji was confused until he saw a bird of some sort make it's way towards their direction.

Neji stood up immediately at it's sight and joined his Elder outside. When the animal got closer, Neji saw that it was unlike any of the birds he had seen before but clearly he had known of them.

Blood Pigeons, he knew them as.

Birds that were distinguished for their intricate design of flowing red lines patterned throughout their navy coloured feathers and whose wingspan was as long as a grown man's arms spread open. They were powerful and smart messengers who were known to make specific pacts between its receiver and sender – a small sacrifice of blood from each to create an unbreakable bond. It was widely known that they were bred and raised in the Eastern Forest.

"Qweche." Yulie greeted the bird as it strong talons grappled around the beam of the balcony and perched.

Qweche – whom Neji presumed was its name relaxed under the gentle fingers that petted its head and leaned in towards Yulie who gladly received him. His long wings expanded as he shook every part of his tired body before staring at the newcomer with dagger like eyes.

Why did they name this creature a pigeon?

This _beast_ was practically _an eagle_ and Neji could feel his intense glare judging him. Eventually the bird cocked his head to the side and went back to focus on his master. That was when Neji realized that there was a satchel attached to the back of Qweche. Yulie unwrapped the leather straps from his bird and walked back inside his room. Both Neji and Qweche followed.

There was a tree planted by the bathroom door that Qweche welcomed himself on while Neji re-joined Elder Yulie on the small table where they had tea.

"Here you go." Yulie said, laying down a heavy packed box on the table with a satisfied 'thump'. There was a rhythm of gentle chimes that suggested it to be filled with glass veils. "The medicine you had asked for." He smiled. "And a letter from Lady Tenten."

Yulie placed the brown paper on top of the box before he slipped the rest of the contents out. His gentle and relaxed smile suggested that it was from his wife. She was the only woman in his world that could make him express such affections so openly on his usually stoic face.

Neji had to admit that the sight of Tenten's letter made him oddly shy and so he delicately moved the letter off the box to focus on the medicine. The brunette approached the package and unwrapped the ribbon that held the box closed. As he had done so, it emitted light in pattern to a few ancient words before disintegrating into thin air. He was taken aback.

"Ah, impressive." Yulie whispered behind his letter as his eyes were no longer on the paper but on the unwrapped box. "I wonder how my wife got a hold of your fingerprint. It's a sealing technique that only opens by your code."

"Chakra?" Neji asked.

"Chakra." Yulie nodded before eagerly going back to his letter.

Neji opened the box, it was as expected – glass veils but on top of it lay a simple card explaining how many doses was needed for application. He slipped that piece within the crevice of the veils by the side of the box. Underneath were colours of the medicine – it was completely different than what he had used before.

At first he was suspicious and he eyed Yulie unconsciously as Sai's warning's rung deeply in his head. However, it felt so impossible to Neji… How could a man and wife be so indulged in their deep rooted love for one another yet betray each other if they knew that both their countries mattered to them? He couldn't imagine it and instinctively he chose to trust their relationship – the strong bond that he failed to fully grasp.

The next piece he got was from Tenten. This time, he was uncertain if he should open it there. He wouldn't know how to react or if he could even respond. How would his letter get back to her anyways? There was no address attached to the mail.

"Oh, you can just send give me your letter and we'll have Qweche delivering it in no time." Yulie informed him as if he had read his mind. Neji turned his head to glance at the bird that flapped his wings in response to his name being called out. His squawk had a hint of gesturing annoyance. "Of course Qweche, after you've rested." Yulie answered and folded the letter in his hand delicately before pocketing it.

"When should my letter reach you?" Neji asked softly, slightly embarrassed that he was even asking in the first place.

"Within 3 days at most." Yulie grinned. The older man walked into the bathroom. While Yulie was gone, Neji's fingers ran over the inked letters of his name written out by none other than Tenten.

He was certain it didn't contain anything too personal but a large part of him wanted to read it in the comforts and privacy of his room. So, he pocketed it safely within his robe before he picked up the small box of medicine that he'd have to quickly administer to Jiraya.

Before he could leave, he decided to wait to bid his Elder a goodbye face to face.

After a few moments, Elder Yulie straggled out of the bathroom with a large bucket of questionably smelly items. Qweche belted out his voice in rejoice as he patiently waited for Yulie to reward him with delicacies.

"I shall take my leave." Neji bowed slightly.

"Farewell lad." Yulie nodded and with that Neji marched out the room, closed the door and went straight for Jiraya's room.

The letter seemed to burn against his chest as his stomach bubbled up with _slight_ anticipation.

When he entered the room, it was dark as usual with Sai leaning against the window in patient observation of the outside from the small chink of the curtains. Sai didn't even need to look up to know that it was Neji that had entered.

"I've got more medicine for him." Neji informed ad walked towards the night table and settled the contents on top of it.

"Ah, anything else you've received?" Sai asked. He jumped off his place from the windowsill. "Any word from Tenten?"

Neji's eyes widened for a mere second as he was taken aback at his question. He hadn't known why he felt so shy saying yes but slowly and surly he managed to inform Sai that she had.

"There could be valuable information in there. I'll take a read after you've finished." Sai said casually as he examined the medicine. He was so nonchalant over the matter. It offended Neji that Sai was so casual over disturbing his privacy. After all, that letter was addressed for him and no one else.

"They're of different colour." Sai observed, catching Neji from his thoughts.

"They are."

"Poison?"

"I doubt it."

"We'll have to see… are you willing to place his life in danger?"

"I am." Neji snipped, _only slightly_ , to show that he still kept his cool.

Sai raised an eyebrow but his face remained non-threatening. He picked up the small piece of paper from the box and his eyes glanced over it before he handed it to his former captain.

 _Administer entire_ _ **thick**_ _green veil marked as Iritus Hyssops followed quickly by the thin yellow liquid. Remainder of time, keep a consistent 1 teaspoon of_ _ **thin**_ _green liquid twice a day – ideally 8 hours a part._

"I'm assuming this is the green thick veil?" Sai raised the small shot. It was far smaller and thicker than the rest. The liquid inside was as dense as honey with a single braid of a root resting inside. Neji placed the card down and pulled out the only yellow liquid. "Shall we?"

"We shall." Neji responded and helped Sai sit Jiraya up against the stack of pillows. Once he was up, Sai tilted the unconscious man's head slightly and opened his jaw to pour the viscous liquid into his mouth.

Once the veil was empty, Sai gently closed Jiraya's jaw shut and held it there until they received some sort of reaction. Within seconds, foam began to bubble by Jiraya's mouth as his body shook in uncontrollable jerks. Sai's eyes immediately threw daggers towards Neji's way but Neji remained calm as he followed the same actions as Sai had done earlier.

He opened Jiraya's mouth and force the yellow liquid down the man's throat.

Jiraya's compulsions stopped and when it had, the two both released the breath they held. Until Jiraya relapsed into shakes far worse than before. Immediately, both men locked him down on the bed as they waited for him to relax.

However Neji heard the uncontrollable noises that bubbled from Jiraya and regurgitate in the back of his throat.

"He's going to throw up, roll him to his side." Neji commanded and was followed with obedience. "You have him?" Neji asked, sliding his foot under the bed to sweep the bucket they had placed before hand in expected scenarios such as these.

"Yes."

At that, Neji let go of Jjiraya to grab the empty bucket from the floor and pressed it against the side of the bed. His thighs kept it in place while his hands went back to support Jiraya.

"Well? Do you think it's poison?" Sai asked and his deeply knitted eyebrows signalled Neji that proving himself right was far from what he wanted to do at the moment.

Neji chose not to respond out of a sense of pride and cool composure.

In a sweeping minute, Jiraya's eyes opened wide as he leaned forth to release whatever was left in his stomach. With the bucket in place, they had managed to reduce the mess. Once the old man finished, he let out a deep and heavy breath followed by uncomfortable chains of coughs.

While Neji settled the bucket back onto the floor, Sai reached for the jug of water to pour a cup for Jiraya. He handed it to Neji who helped Jiraya sit up so he could drink it. The old man eagerly accepted the refreshing liquid that touched his lips and cooled his burning throat and lungs.

Once he had nothing to gulp down, Sai took the cup from Jiraya while the RIC leader helped settle Jiraya back onto the pillows comfortably.

"Welcome back Lord Jiraya." Neji offered a reassuring smile and the man only glanced at the Hyuuga before his eyes glazed at the ceiling of his room. "Do you remember anything?" Neji asked kindly although he could not deny how eager he was to receive word – any lead so that he could start doing something productive.

But the man remained stoic.

His freshly watered lips remained unmoved.

His tired eyes continued staring up at the ceiling.

Within moments, his eyes rolled back into his head before his eyelids closed. Immediately Sai reached over to check for a pulse but even from where Neji stood, he could see that Jiraya had fallen asleep from the subtle rise and fall from his chest.

"Did you think it was poison?" Neji asked and crossed his arms. He glanced at bile filled bucket underneath his feet.

"In some way… yes but it seemed to wake him up – even for a little bit. Perhaps that is the exact reaction Lord Jiraya needed and the reaction Lady Esther wanted." They both paused to examine the man who had just gone back to sleep; his long white hair draped behind him.

"Although he had wished that Tsunade wouldn't see him like this… I think she needs to know and she is the best and most trusted medic we have here."

"I'll send word immediately." Sai said. "What of Naruto and Lee? Shall I send word to them as well?"

"No. Once Tsunade knows, she can deliver the message personally. We can't take any risk of the enemy finding out that Jiraya is alive."

"Agreed." Sai said before he left his former boss with the mess.

After a few moments of delegating what he ought to clean first, Neji figured that cleaning Jiraya would be the most important thing at hand. He slipped into the bathroom to get the fire and water started and went back to undress Jiraya before he settled him in the warm water. While the old man soaked in his bath, Neji went ahead to replace the pillows and the slightly stale bed sheets. He brought it to the corner of the room along with the bucket of bile that he had carefully kicked across the marble floor.

Once he collected the new sheets and wrapped it around the bed, he went back to check on Jiraya who was still unconscious. Neji rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a sponge and began to gently lather Jiraya, which was far from what his social class permitted him to, yet there he was.

For a man of his status, it would be incredibly rare for him to _know_ how to clean himself let alone clean someone else. After all, by birthright, Neji was a prince. His father was the younger twin brother of King Hiashi. Men that shared a similar nobility had everything done for them: the undressing, the applying of concoctions of soaps, shampoos, lotions, perfumes and they were all chosen ahead of time. Likewise the drying and dressing up would be done for them.

All they would do was stand, lift their arms when necessary and breath.

But the people of RIC were always brought to this sense of equality amongst class and independence. That sparked up a sense of pride in most of them, even those with noble backgrounds.

Although it would be expected for Neji to only be accustomed to doing such things within his RIC years, he had been forced to this transition at a young age. He never grew up with a mother – didn't know what a mother was until he was exposed to other families.

Misaki Hyuuga, a very distant cousin of the royal family, had done everything for Neji and filled the large void of the mother he unknowingly longed for. That, however, didn't last long. When his father was assassinated, she also had died… as a traitor. But he didn't know it at that time; he had only found out that she was a spy once he did his research.

It was a troubling time.

A time of war between Hyuuga's and Uchiha's.

For Misaki or Yuki (that was her real name), she managed to find contact with a distant family of the Hyuuga, stole her identity by murdering her and managed to settle herself nicely within the kingdom. So being exposed to that world at a young age naturally built a callous nature in Neji that was hard to shake off.

Since the Misaki incident, the royal family set their priorities in keeping the princesses safe. By doing this, they did their utmost best to keep Neji close, to train him as the most perfect protector towards Princess Hinata.

Yet even then, he hated Hinata – the very fragile and weak one that he had lost all rights of an inheritance to. He had reflected this in his father who he believed would have made the perfect king in the times of war yet received undeserved attention.

All the praises seemed to fly to the older twin, King Hiashi, while his father received all criticisms. He remembered being frustrated as a child and wondered why his father never did anything against the voices.

He believed that it was due to his passivity that eventually led to his demise. Neji planned on being the difference. He wanted to be the change and so he grew aggressive and hostile in all he did – wanting to outshine Princess Hinata to shame her.

And it seemed that King Hiashi saw this when Neji was replaced with Tenten. Out of a jealous fit it sparked his need for revenge.

But that was all in the past now.

A past that he did not want to relive today.

Neji sighed, wafting the memories from his mind. It was odd to think that he would grow to appreciate Tenten in such a seemingly short time. At first, he could not bare to stand her especially knowing that she was a maid from their enemy country.

It was to "help sooth" tensions.

It was such a slap to _his_ face to be replaced by a foreigner, let alone a woman of lower calibre. At the same time, hadn't they realized they had knowingly set themselves up for the possible same scenario that his father had gone through?

Neji and Tenten never really spoke much after the climactic event between him and Naruto, and since then, he had learned to dislike her less than he normally would. He learned to ignore her as she did well in serving Hinata and he went on to rebuild his name as a RIC prodigy.

The time in the ballroom changed something in him. He hated to admit it but it had. She was fluid and unknowingly seductive in her movements as she charmed her way into warming his cold heart. He had a hard time sleeping that night. He didn't want to admit that she had gotten to him.

Then after her exceedingly well performance over the Uchiha Massacre Ambush, he found himself becoming less bitter and more attentive. Now, he wasn't just there for her in times of mentorship but in ways for friendship.

He paused. The sponge in his hand dripped in his hand and each drop echoed loudly in the room.

 _But what if she still was an enemy in disguise?_ The thought crept into his mind.

After all, Misaki/Yuki had kept up the rouse of being a close friend for 4 years.

Who's to say that Tenten had a 10-year plan within her sleeves? What _if_ getting into the RIC was the one thing that she would work her way into and so when she does strike, the wound she would leave behind would be deep and perhaps even lead to some sort of fallout.

He paused his thinking and distracted himself by continuing to lather Jiraya. It felt impossibly wild for Tenten to do, let alone conceive something deep and manipulative as that. She too was emotionally invested in nearly everything that she did and likewise, her every action, word and expression made her an easy read.

Once Jiraya's body had finished it's wash, Neji worked on conditioning the long white locks that Jiraya refused to cut despite how heavy and thick it had grown. Eventually Neji had finished and sat Jiraya down in a chair while he drained the lukewarm water.

He made sure to dry Jiraya off before he carefully wrapped a robe around him to prepare him for his continuing rest. In the mean time while he waited for Sai and Tsunade, he figured that it might be a good time to read Tenten's letter.

It burned against his fingertips and his eyes examined every wrinkle on the gently wrapped package. It carried faint smells of the forests with a strong mixture of animal.

In the center were two clear words: _Neji_ in big font and below that laid Tenten's difficult to read signature. He flipped it over and ran a single finger over the grooves of the unrecognizable seal. The sigil of the Angustie family was clear: an old oak with willowing branches.

He ran his fingernail under the dried oil and easily snapped the letter to an open. Neatly, he raised the flap and reached in to pull the delicate thin paper from its carrier. With a gentle tug, he unfolded the paper and was suddenly aware of his rising thoughts that wondered what her first words would be.

 _Dear Neji_

Of course it would address him, he almost scolded himself as he continued reading. Her voice flooded into his mind as he imagined how she was when she wrote this.

 _I hope_ –

A slam awakened him from reading any further and he glanced up at the open door that welcomed Sai and Tsunade to enter in.

"Doctor." Neji greeted and bowed his head slightly while he tucked the letter back in his robe. Once the door came to a close thus blocking the outside world from the small yet grave matters within. Tsunade dropped her manners and ran straight by the bed. Her hands moved quickly as her eyes scaled across his body to diagnose and examine how his condition was.

"You idiot." She whispered, looking at him with a hint of hurt. "Fill me in." She said, never taking an eye off of Jiraya.

"Allow me." Sai stepped forward. "Kakashi was the first to contact me when he discovered that his people were attacked. Immediately, I traveled for Kumogakure and planned on arriving there before Kakashi settled in my safe house. When I had arrived, I discovered that Lord Jiraya had left a message – coded, sealed and hidden of course."

Sai then walked to the window and leaned forward for his paint box. Inside one of the complex containers, he pulled out a piece of paper scrawled with 2 indistinguishable characters written in blood that had dried into a murky brown.

"Caught Trail." Neji translated out loud.

It was written in the secret language the RIC shared amongst each other. It took a strict dedicated year to learn and because of its different and harsh dialect, it was hardly ever spoken unless absolutely necessary. In fact, it was an issue introduced by the RIC counsel just a few years ago. They argued whether they should discontinue the secret language.

"I knew he was alive but was uncertain where he was. When Kakashi came through, I kept him hidden and safe until we contacted the king." Sai continued and placed the paper back into his box. "It was then that we discussed the possibility of appointing Kakashi as king. Meanwhile we were uncertain if Lord Jiraya was even alive until the day of your arrival. Naruto-san had gone around and tried to chakra track him and found that Jiraya had intentionally left traces of his presence around for Naruto-san to specifically find."

He let out a sigh.

"Eventually, Naruto-san found him and stopped the final blow from sealing the deathblow. Naruto did not contact us at all as he focussed on keeping Lord Jiraya alive. When he had arrived, he found his way towards the safe quarters and contacted Lee who later contacted Tenten-san. The rest I was not there to witness however, Lady Esther was involved in the mix."

"Lady Esther had engaged some kind of water-style technique with chakra and mended the more damaged organs." Neji filled in what Sai could not as Tsunade's eyes lingered on the faint scar on Jiraya's stomach.

"That explains why the scars are so small." She whispered and gently laid a hand over the fresh mark that was left by the Uchiha killers. It was far more prominent compared to the other scars scattered across his body – scars that signalled a time of war and his duties to RIC.

"Chakra." The word played around her tongue as if it were foreign to her ears. "I've read a few scrolls that mentioned it." Which made sense since she _was_ a palace doctor before she retired after failing to keep the late queen alive.

The amount of access and connections that could get her those readings had not surprised Neji in the least. "I'm just glad it's kept him alive." Her hand traveled up to his cheek as she gently caressed the few strands of white hair from his face. Neji was unsure how to read that moment but understood that they were close…perhaps even closer than any had known. "I'll need to do a rundown on his medications and methods of application." She finally looked up at Sai that prompted another report.

Once Tsunade finished her initial diagnosis of her friend, she had ordered Sai to bring a various amount of utensils for her to use. Her rectangular doctors bag was pitched on a table as she set up her workspace to ready the herbs that would later be used for the betterment of her dear friend. These brews would later prove to be even more effective along side Lady Esther's concoctions and was a way to prepare Jiraya when he would wake up.

The entire time, Neji had been the one to fill her with all the information she needed while he assisted in whatever it was that she needed help with. He was curious to see her set up wires around the bedposts. She later hung a fluid sack that connected to a plastic tube that would later be impaled into his body.

She called it an _intravenous_ bag otherwise short for an IV. All throughout the process she kept checking his vital signs in an almost paranoid fear that she would lose him. This possessive behaviour somewhat reminded Neji of the way he felt protective over Hinata. Yet a small part of him knew that Tsunade and Jiraya were far more involved than he understood.

Sai had come back with the extra bulky equipment and set the wooden box on the empty side of the bed. "Where did this all come from?" Neji asked and watched with fascination. Tsunade dissembled the box by pulling up the lid to reveal a graph of some sort and other compartments that held wires.

"Doctors from around. You make a lot of connections when you're me." She grinned proudly while strapping some of the wires around Jiraya's body, most notably anywhere that presented the pulse the best. Once her patient was attached, she flicked on a switch and watched the thin contraption above the graphing paper wave back in forth in a rhythmic beat that left traces of black ink on the once empty page.

Upon seeing this, he realized that it documented his steady heartbeat.

Tsunade released a heavy sigh as she took a lantern and lit it. She pulled Jiraya's eyelids up to examine the response of his pupil to the light and jotted her observations in her notepad.

"The brain is responsive." She told the two before going back to her desk. "It's a miracle that he's still alive… let alone cognisant. I just wish I were here sooner. I know he didn't want me to see him like that. That fool. I thought he was dead." She finally relaxed as she leaned on her desk. Her arms were crossed over her large chest as her watered eyes focused on the patterns on the floor. "I'll take care of him from now on while you two should get some rest."

Sai nodded and left immediately but Neji lingered for a moment as he felt the solemn atmosphere wash over his face like cold air. Once he knew that he couldn't do anything for the situation, he left Tsunade alone. But certainly not for long since he knew that Sai would eventually come back to play his role as a bodyguard.

Neji was quite certain that Tsunade could handle herself… according to the reports he's read. Like Tsunade being a brute with immense strength. It would still reassure everyone to send someone there to watch them.

He's had his suspicions that Tsunade used chakra control and confirmed his predictions when he had a look at her during a rare spar between her and Naruto. However, it seemed to remain dormant until direct threat and she had somehow guided her chakra unknowing towards her fists.

She was a natural chakra wielder. According to her history, there was talk about her possibly being part of the RIC.

It even occurred that he could ask her to train Tenten until he remembered that she had no training in chakra thus couldn't even hand down her 'knowledge'. All the times she had infused chakra into her fist was by mere natural luck and he shuddered at the thought of how much destruction she could pursue if she was properly trained.

Perhaps it was for the best. If Tenten had been knowledge of chakra, Lady Esther would not have offered to take her as her pupil. Besides, it would allow precious intel for Konohagakure – a different perspective besides Elder Yulie's account.

Once he was alone in his room, he made himself comfortable on the couch and pulled out the letter. It poked his skin as a gentle reminder of Tenten. He opened the parchment as delicately as he could before he scanned the paper of her handwritten letter.

 _Dear Neji,_ he re-read and prepared for his mind to settle into the mood of a businesslike read.

 _I hope things have been fair for you. I hope that the castle and all it's people have treated you kindly and that Jiraya is breathing at the least. There is little to write as of now since I am stuck within the confines of this small and cramped chariot._

 _Although I've spent some distinguished moments in my life where I had been cramped into spaces far smaller than this one – at least I could leave. I find my body restless as it itches to be sore once more from all the exercising but instead I'm forced to watch the fading mountains of blues and greys as my muscles slowly deteriorate._

 _The passing landscapes of the strong rocky plateaus of Kumogakure have sparked in me old memories of the time I had been under servitude of a Lord once. If I am not staring aimlessly at the scene, I am making polite conversation with the Lady's daughters. In total, she has 4 girls and 2 older boys whom we already know much of. Alexander the Doctor and Surgeon, Isaiah the Commander General and now there is: Lady Lisa, Lady Margaret, Lady Abigail and Lady Reina._

 _In all honesty, I have trouble distinguishing them (I found out they were all quadruplets! What a miracle! I have heard little to zero survival rates of that capacity). Anyways, any word on Naruto? Lee? Kiba and Akamaru? Perhaps Princess Hinata?_

He paused.

Despite the 14 days that passed, he hadn't actually received word from any of his teammates yet. However, he had expected to hear some sort of report once their envoy comes to drop off some extra soldiers, supplies and to leave with the remainder of their scholars.

He turned to the next page into a detailed account of her arrival at the forest and imagined her reaction upon seeing it…

The entrance to the forest that Tenten was soon to face was massive, thick and unexpectedly homey – if that was even a word. Although she had seen it from a far off, she hadn't expected it to stand and lean over her at 5-10 stories tall. And to be quite frank, she wasn't entirely sure if they were staring at the entrance. There was no indicator of it being so because the road that they were on had ended a few miles off.

The chariot soon rolled into a halt as Esther jumped out of the vehicle and stood by the foot of it before her daughters and Tenten joined.

She had no idea how they would get through. In between the thick trunks of the old yet strong trees were chunky shrubs of reportedly poisonous herbs. Tenten had no intentions of finding out if the books she'd read were true.

There was a chapter in the history of Tale's End that spoke about the failed conquest of Konohagakure as they planned on going through the Eastern Forest. The few brave men that led the expedition through the forest had caught painful, torturous rashes that were easily spread throughout the camp once they came back out in defeat.

"Home sweet home." Lisa muttered with her arms crossed in front of her chest – almost as if she was being sarcastic about it. From what Tenten had observed, she was the most quiet out of the three who made little to no expressions. It was as if she was always sleeping and was by far the most difficult to get along with.

"I wonder how _apachi_ and _amachi_ are doing." Abigail said softly with a smile and looked at Tenten before she explained that was how 'grandpa' and 'grandma' was spoken in their language. Tenten blushed and appreciated how she incorporated her. It seemed she had a natural affinity towards her because she reminded Tenten of Hinata.

Lady Esther roamed around the few trees that were in front of them before she laid a hand on one of them. With a delicate concentration, she closed her eyes and stayed like that for a seemingly long time.

"This will take a while." Margaret told Tenten. "She's trying to contact uncle… or _apache_ , maybe _amachi_. Anyways, she's just trying to contact _someone_. How long do you think it will take for them to reach us?" This time, she turned around to address Paul who leaned against the chariot's board.

"The fastest and smallest group… less than a few hours. Three at most." He said and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "But if the whole entourage comes, it could take a day or three."

The four girls groaned at the news.

"Shall we do something to make the time go faster?" Margaret asked.

"Do what? There's nothing out here." This time it was Reina who spoke as her arms stayed wrapped around Abigail's.

"We could spar." Margaret shrugged and turned towards Lisa who seemed to share her approval with the twinkle in her eye. Immediately, Tenten was all ears and was desperate to do anything physical.

"I hate sparing, the clothes are never nice." Reina pouted. She was the only female to still be in a dress. Everyone else was comfortably in a pair of loose trousers and lightly draped tunics fit for any commoner. "What about you Abigail? Shall we wander around the outskirts of the forest in hopes of seeing something far more entertaining?"

There was a pause.

"Actually… I want to…"

Reina immediately let go of her twin's arm with a prompt hmph.

"Fine, have your way." She grumbled as she stopped towards the chariot, and struggled upwards with her poufy dress. She sat beside Paul and hoped that she could listen to more of his stories when her mother was a young child.

"Okay, that's four of us. Perfect." Margaret grinned and walked away from the forest and into the open field. On their way to find more space, Tenten finally spoke.

"I hadn't figured you ladies to be engaged in fighting. I admit. Upon seeing you all, you lot seemed like the most daintiest, elegant ladies I've met."

"If it weren't for my mother, we probably would be." Margaret responded.

"At first papa didn't want us doing any form of fighting even though mama had combat skills." Abigail smiled softly as she affectionately thought of her father. "It was because he was afraid for us, which proved ma's case in her belief that it would be perfect for us to know self-defence. Then he allowed it but only on the basis of self-defence and nothing more."

"Makes sense." Tenten said.

On top of that, Elder Yulie was of noble blood. It would be incredibly scandalous for his daughters to be engaged in such an art.

Finally, when they felt that they were far enough for adequate fighting space, they began to warm their bodies for the action – jogging in place, speeding up their breath, stretching their limbs and jabbing at the air.

"Who against who?" Tenten said out loud.

"Ah…" Abigail paused and looked at her older sisters. "Rock, paper, sissors?" And so they engaged in the small hand movements before it was declared: Lisa verses Margaret and Tenten verses Abigail. From there, Lisa and Margaret shared a knowing grin as they both ran off far from them.

"Why are they going so far?" Tenten asked as she parted from Abigail to prepare for their space.

"Well…" the third eldest daughter started. "They can get kind of intense." A twinkle went through Tenten's eyes as her thoughts quickly passed through her imagination of duelling with the stronger one out of the two.

She wanted Margaret to win but she had a feeling Lisa had a strength that was not easily seen. Before she dwelt on those words for too long, she focused her attention back to Abigail and could not help but ease up on her. She didn't look like a fighter and she seemed far too delicate to even know what it is to be a fighter.

Just like that, unsurprisingly so, Tenten won. Abigail was good by her own rights – better than 95% of the female population. She knew proper position and technique by using her smaller size as an advantage to toss her opponent's strength against their own but she was slow and her attacks held no serious damage.

Tenten held out a hand for Abigail and the loser flashed a gentle smile at Tenten.

Tenten blushed. _She was too cute_ , much like her dear friend Hinata.

"What's wrong? Abigail asked with a slight tilt of her head and a pout to accompany it.

"Nothing really. I just miss my… best friend." It felt weird around her tongue as she called Hinata that. It never really occurred to her that they considered each other best friends as honorary titles. It felt more natural for her to call Hinata her master but seeing that she was no longer her servant, calling her as such would be odd.

"Oh, which one? Is it Sakura-san or Lee-san?" Tenten shook her head in a small manner as her thoughtful smile deepened. "Perhaps Neji-sama?"

Tenten didn't know why but the thought that Abigail felt that Neji was close enough to be deemed her best friend made her blush. "Oh no! Nothing like that!" She was quick to say as she fumbled over her words. "It's Princess Hinata."

"Oh." Abigail turned to watch her older siblings – both were still engaged in their fight yet it was clear that Margaret was reaching her end. "You know… Although we're cousins, it's really odd that I don't know much about her… The castle really likes to nail her down." She shrugged hoping to dismiss the negative implications she tied into her words. "But I guess it makes sense as to why she has to remain cautious since her closest cousin _did_ try to kill her once."

A flash of sudden surprise flashed through Tenten's face as Abigail delivered the shameful past so casually. " _And_ , I'd like to add." Abigail continued. "King Hisashi-sama's twin brother _was_ killed by a woman who posed to be a distant relative. It's hard to find people you can trust, even those of your own blood." Abigail flashed a quick glance at Tenten before looking back her two sisters.

Offended and confused, Tenten blurted her words from her mouth, "Are you trying to imply something?"

"Perhaps I am." She said softly with an expression of sorrow. "By my mother's blood, you are my kinsmen in some way whether that relationship had been formed hundreds of years ago or just recently. We have never greeted an outsider from the village since my father. Even now, he is not allowed to enter. My mother had to deliver elder Alex-nii-sama alone here."

A beat.

"And I know that the political realm is extremely greedy in wanting information. Information that can destroy an entire clan." Her grief deepened as they both knowingly shared the thought of the late Uchiha clan. "I may not know the RIC but I ask that you reframe from sharing some secrets to them despite your obligations."

Tenten remained silent, her eyes no longer fixed on Abigail but on the other two girls who had just finished their fight. Her RIC code made it an absolute must to share any political information over personal familial interest, which was easily made at the time of her surrender.

For all she knew, family meant nothing since her parents died. But now that she was just started to reconnect with her mother's past, she finally was started to feel the pull of the waves that had brushed against her heart.

123

All the scattered thoughts of family, belonging and love were spilled onto the paper for Neji's eyes to grasp. It was so uncommon. It was his first time to recieve something as personal as this. It was considered unprofessional within the report format.

Despite his conflictions as a RIC leader, he accepted her words.

This small part of her letter seemed to make him anxious over handing it so openly to Sai. The letter was not even addressed to him nor was he an official RIC member. Therefore, Neji had no real obligations to do so.

His eyes skimmed over one specific line once again: _For love is the bane of honour, the death of duty_.

It was so poetically profound that it awakened a small part of him. He knew that there was still so much more to be found in those words. Perhaps that's why the majority of the RIC members were orphans or already had deceased family.

Swearing loyalty to the king and accepting RIC as the new brotherhood – the new family was far easier to wholeheartedly submit to that way. But the heart was a fickle thing that is constantly swayed. RIC are forbidden to start a family and the only exceptions were for the _very few_ surpassing warriors who were already married before hand.

This sparked up a long time debate whether to dismiss the "out-dated" idea of prohibiting a wife and a family. So rather, the council instead promoted that if that were the case, rather than a death sentence, they can choose to leave RIC if they so desire to settle. _Only_ once they've found a candidate to replace them.

Obviously, once that rule had been implemented, a various amounts of RIC ultimately left behind an incredibly young (yet capable) generation of RIC.

Jiraya to Naruto.

Gai to Lee.

Danzo to Sai.

Asuma to Shino.

Rumours sparked about how Jiraya had wanted to get involved with Tsunade but it was quickly brushed under the rug once he moved to Kumogakure as an Ambassador for Konhogakure.

Gai had gotten caught with a terrible illness within his legs and as a result was forced to retire. Later, he settled down with a nurse he had met at war.

Asuma had married Lady Kurenai and no one seemed to bat an eye when Danzo left since he also rode the wave of the mass exodus of former RIC members leaving.

Kiba was the only exception. He had admired the RIC since a child and worked hard to be honoured as one.

As for Neji.

Being a RIC warrior _was_ a dream for him growing up – protecting the family that he loved as a living. As a child, all the restrictions of being part of the RIC were of little concern for him until the death of his father. Then, much after his fight with Naruto, he was back on the path to being part of RIC albeit unwillingly at first.

Now he wondered what he would do in the future.

Perhaps stay and continue to mentor the next generations of RIC. It would be an honour to raise another generation of great leaders but somehow it left this unwanted stain in his mind. It would force him to accept the bitter reality of this unsatisfying cycle called life.

In his deep thought, he was forced to face the cage that he once believed to belong in. A cage that was bound to duty and upbringing – obviously until Naruto had made him realize that anyone could form their own destiny.

The door was open but he was too afraid to step out of it.

He had gotten comfortable in the birdcage. It was his home for too long and anything outside of that made him uncomfortable.

Somehow, he knew that Elder Yulie possessed the answer – the answer to _happiness_ and ultimately, would give him the courage to step out of the cage.

Was he willing to seek this answer?

Even now, he didn't know.

He let out a long sigh as his face relaxed into a slight frown. He rested his eyes away from the paper as he looked out the window and from there could see Qweche stretch his magnificent wings in the air. Moments passed with empty quiet thoughts running through his head before he glanced back at the letter.

The rest was a simple update – a small group had escorted them inside the forest. As expected, they needed someone who could control the trees to enter. From there, Lady Esther was quick to collect herbs and send them off to the palace.

Now, all that was left was his response.

How would he go about it?

Often times, he would just commend his colleague for their work and report something back. His letter back would be reciprocal, professional and would command them to come back with valuable information.

This time was different.

If Lee were to carry out this kind of conversation with him, he would listen as a friend and respond as a leader – to brush aside those feelings for the moment and continue on his duty.

But now he had time to sit down and digest the depth of her emotions and respond accordingly. _How_ would he go about it and what would be the tone to his response? He let out a long sigh and stood to approach his desk.

He reclined against his seat before he pulled up his sleeves and prepared a new piece of paper. With an elegant hand, he dipped the quill delicately into the inkpot, tapped it slightly on its side before he raised parallel to the parchment.

There was a hesitant moment before the tip touched the paper and a smooth glide left a strong black line against the white.

 _Tenten…_

123

A clatter of sounds, of laughter and an overlapping amount of loud conversations whistled into the air. Pairs of little children ran around, weaving themselves in between the adults who were in heavy packs of friends and family who had fermented drinks in their hand. There were the occasional teenagers who roamed around but most of them would disappear into the forest for a far better adventure with gathered friends.

The ones who were closer to Tenten's age were dancing freely, creating music and laughter specifically with those of the opposite sex. Either on the lookout for a future partner, or are already married and even pregnant by their evident round bellies.

Mothers were in and out of houses preparing food as their husbands stood by the fire, grilling and making food. Everyone seemed so preoccupied that no one batted an eye as giant animals surrounded toddlers and babies: tigers, bears, lions and even _a dragon_.

It had been the 3rd day out of the 7th day of their celebration. Tenten still could not get over the fact that babies, toddlers and beasts were harmoniously lazing around a segregated part of the village in some sort of makeshift pen.

But it wasn't even that that left her stunned. It was the fact that the babies and toddlers floated, played with fire, moved the earth around them or formed balls of liquids from any source nearby. They never got too far in their actions though.

When a child floated too far, the dragon would gently wrap its tail around the baby's soft belly and bring them down to the ground.

When another pulled the earth too far, the bear would rise and stomp it down.

When the fire got too wild, the tiger would puff out a smoke from his nostrils to extinguish it and when the patterns in the water got too wild, all the animals would nudge the child and divert their attention elsewhere.

 _They were babies_ and they had far better chakra control than she did and she was an _adult_. She hadn't realized that her hand had turned pale white as it wrapped itself around the clay cup so tightly. She was jealous and was slightly frustrated that Lady Esther still hadn't taught her anything.

Lady Esther was too busy talking to _everyone_ and that was not an exaggeration. A pang of shame fell on her as she realized that these people could be her far extended family that she didn't even know she had…

A sudden pain slapped her head when a blurred memory flashed into her mind and left just as quickly as it came. An image lingered and as she tried to focus on it.

It engulfed her.

Musky damp smells consumed her nose as the heavy moist air surrounded her. She found herself mystified by the golden eyes of a tiger. Found in its eyes, it laid no bearings of hostility. She felt safe enough to reach a tiny hand on the muzzle of his nose. The memory abruptly paused in a sharp pain.

 _Was she here before?_

She shook her head. Nothing in her conscious memories had suggested anything close. As her thoughts lingered, she realized that she had little to no memories of her childhood.

The only prominent memory that she could remember clearly was the time she had patiently observed her parents. She would swing her feet back and forth against the bed while she silently watched them have deep conversations.

Other times she would talk endlessly while her mother folded the bed sheets and clothing. She could remember her father's affectionate displays of love towards her mother while he carried Tenten on his shoulder with ease. She remembered all the generic memories that every child would have but the larger picture, she failed to see through the haze.

Throughout her entire life, she had just accepted the fact that she was born and raised within the working class and that was that. Every day was like the last as she served under House Hamasaki – a quiet yet powerful family who chose to keep to themselves by the shore in the northern eastern district of Kumogakure. They lived on the islands and dominated the sea with their trade. They were known for their strong naval army that rivalled well against Konohagakure. Which proved to be the case during Tale's End as both ended in a tie.

That was the past that she had accepted but being here… it made her feel oddly uncomfortable as her mind unravelled from the presence of the forest. She felt her mind wander and shrivel at the pressures around her. Before she suffocated in from her thoughts, a loud plate clanked down beside her. It's sound pulled her back to the present.

She looked up to see that Margaret had decided to join her as they ate.

"You cool?" Margaret asked in a slight accent, no doubt just exiting a conversation from their native tongue. Tenten shifted and relaxed her shoulders. She leaned both her arms on the table.

"Yeah, I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed. I guess I'm just anxious to do _something_. After all, we nearly spent 2 week traveling."

"Ah, I get you." Margaret sympathised. Out of all four girls, Tenten had to admit that she bonded the best with Margaret. Just as she was about to open her mouth, the two younger sisters joined: Abigail and Reina.

"Where's Lisa?" Tenten asked as they both sat down. The younger twins nudged towards the shoulder of Margaret. Everyone looked at the usually stoic girl brighten and giggle in a conversation with an older man. He too was smiled and leaned close to her.

"Is that?"

"That's Eliphaz Kobayashi. He's like, 7 years older than her." Reina informed her. "He's like… a doctor but not really because he fights too."

"A field medic?" Tenten filled in to which Reina nodded.

"Yeah, both mom and dad like him. Both _suya_ 's also like him… once they got past his age. Oh man, Alex and Isaiah both got really defensive at first but now Alex already considers him part of the family now that he can go on those giant boring medical conversations." Reina continued on.

"Oh." It was all that Tenten could say. "Are they getting married?"

"They're promised to each other." Reina sighed, resting her chin on her palm. "So yes. They're going to stay here and plan out the ceremony. He already has a house he's preparing."

"Preparing?"

"Our tradition makes it so that both man and woman must live with their parents until they are married. So if they finally find someone they are promised to, the man must prepare a house while the wife gathers supplies until the ceremony." Abigail explained with a smile.

"Oh." Tenten said. "What about you Margaret? Are you promised to someone?" She cocked her head towards her friend who nearly jumped from the question. Her face turned bright red, which was so uncommon even Tenten broke into laughter as she nudged and teased her. "Is he here?" She asked in a singsong manner.

"No, he's in the palace. Isn't he Margie?" Reina flashed a devious smile. She raised her eyebrows up and down to tease her further. A slight disheartened feeling filled Tenten as a quick image of Neji dropped into her mind.

"Someone from RIC?" Tenten tried to cheer on with a teasing grin and hoped to push her thoughts of Neji far from her mind.

Why did she feel dirty?

Margaret cheeks reddened more so. If this kept up, steam would pour from her ears. Tenten didn't even notice that she, herself, was slightly frowning at this point.

"He's so ugly too." Reina said, again, wiggling her eyebrows. "Like, he's got the bushiest pair on the team." Suddenly, a wave of relief washed over Tenten as an unlikely remedy to the uncomfortable feeling she had earlier.

"You like Lee?!" Tenten nearly gasped out loud. Margaret to waved her hands in order to convince the girls to lower their voices but Abigail and Reina both could not stop giggling.

"He's a really sweet guy." Abigail commented.

"But RIC members can't get married." Tenten sighed.

"Yes they can." Reina quipped. Tenten raised an eyebrow to support her confusion.

"No they can't…" This time, Tenten said slowly.

"Yes they can…" Reina repeated more confidently. "We've attended a few weddings. Might Gai and Asuma Sarutobi's."

"Oh." Tenten said, leaving a lingering awkwardness after her only word.

"It's alright. I don't think you were in Konogakure then. And it's like this unspoken thing because it technically still under the charter that RIC can't get married but here's the thing – they can't have a family _while_ they're under RIC but once they leave, they can."

"But we can't leave until at least a few years of service." Tenten said quietly.

"Well, Margaret will just have to nab him before they pronounce that as an official rule." Reina winked at Margaret.

"He's a really sweet guy." Tenten encouraged Margaret but frowned as she immediately thought of the girl he was currently entranced by. _But he likes Sakura._

 _"_ He _is_ and he's so hardworking…" Margaret sighed dreamily. "But like that's going to happen. Daddy wouldn't allow it. We'd both be too old when he does leave RIC."

"That's why I'm telling you to nab him while you're both young." Reina persisted with a wink.

"I'd never pull him away from something he loves to do. Argh. Besides, mama and papa might just get me a matchmaker." She ran a frustrated hand through her hair. "What about you Reina!? You're so hell bent on Takomi Hyuuga even though he's like 3 years younger than you."

"Grandchild of Grand Elder Ryuunosuke?!" Tenten blurted out. It seemed the political inner drama spread far beyond the royal seat.

"We're distant cousins! And not entirely related anyways since mama isn't even a Hyuuga. Besides, it was totally normal for Hyuuga's to marry within their bloodline. It isn't weird."

"It's not weird." Tenten agreed. "What's weird is that everyone is connected somehow…"

"Well, daddy is a colleague with Ryuunosuke-sama anyways."

"Soon that won't be Ryuunosuke-sama anymore… Instead it'll be otou-san." Abigail snickered.

"Fingers crossed. I seemed to have caught his attention." Reina smirked with a wink.

"Oh he totally has his eyes on you. _Every_ ball party we go to, he's always around you and constantly desires to grab a dance with you."

"Can you imagine that entire estate will be under our name?" Reina snickered.

Tenten was taken aback. "You're in it for the money?" She asked, slightly failing to hide her disappointment. _You're already rich._ She wanted to say. Lady Esther was a princess for goodness sakes and Elder Yulie was… well, he was a Hyuuga.

"Well yeah." Reina said casually as if it were nothing.

To Tenten's surprise, she wasn't bothered any further. She _did_ recall that marriage ties were originally based on gaining prestige. It was never entirely based on love… Itachi and Hisana didn't start off romantically nor was the looming expected marriage of Hinata and Sasuke.

"I mean, he doesn't have to be in love with me but it helps. Especially now that we can actually have an input on whom we want to marry. Let's just put it this way… at least he's handsome."

"Hmm, and you Abigail?"

"No one comes to mind at the moment." She confessed.

"But she get's so much suitors." Margaret said as she rolled her eyes.

"I don't like any of them…" Abigail confessed. "They're too old for me."

"Watch out!~" Margaret teased. "If you keep saying no to everyone, mama will get you a matchmaker."

"I don't mind." She smiled. "I trust that she knows me best."

Margaret just shrugged before she turned back to look at Tenten. "What about you Tenten? I know that RIC aren't allowed to even think about that stuff but it must be hard living in a house full of men."

" _Hot_ men." Reina added.

The three Hyuuga girls sighed at the thought of half-naked muscular boys walked around the house casually.

"Oh, no one comes to mind." Tenten said, having to push the split second thought of Neji from her mind. "Lee is much like my best friend within the RIC. Naruto is a dear friend. Kiba is like that funny one in the group you can't ever imagine being with and Neji…" She paused, thinking. "He's my boss."

"Ah." Margaret sighed. "Well, when the right one rolls around, you'll know."

"Or I can stay as a RIC forever." Tenten grinned with a slight wiggle in her eyebrows. The girls all laughed and for once, Tenten finally allowed herself to relax without the thought of duty looming over her.

123

It was the first official early morning after their 7th and final day of the festival. Tenten had done her usual routine of having a handful of fruits for breakfast and a quick change of clothes before she faced the blue skies of the early morning.

She was honoured to her own hut and was situated across from Lady Esther and her daughters.

From there she stretched and meditated outside and could see that Margaret would be doing her own pair of stretching. After a quick warm up, the two would go on jogs around the village and through the forest. With Margaret acting as the guide, they were able to explore all the different parts of the Eastern Forest, which was called Havilah amongst the villagers.

There were waterfalls, smooth paths through greenery, and rocky terrains that overlooked the lands below. It was accompanied by a various amount of animals that joined them for brief moments or welcomed them with morning songs.

Then, as usual, they would make their way back to the village to prepare a bath from the springs within the caves but the their plan changed. When they reached the hut to get clothing and towels, they both noticed that Qweche was perched on one of the trees closest to Lady Esther's hut.

"Oh, Qweche is back!" Margaret announced as she waved at the bird. He glanced at them, tilted his head and made his way down to perch on top of the roof as he squawked his morning to the daughter of his masters. "How's otou-chan?" She asked.

Qweche to spread his wings, turned around to wiggle his butt and raised his legs in a dance. This earned a laugh from Margaret while Tenten remained stunned.

She remembered when she had first laid eyes on the bird.

His cool and cold approach intimidated her. His judging eyes seemed to scare her away from petting unlike the other girls who leaned in to pet and even hug him. And in all honesty, it looked like he didn't want to be touched by Tenten since she was a stranger in his eyes. She offered a small wave to acknowledge him and he simply tilted his head to the side before shaking out his wings once again.

"Ah, yes, you must be hungry." Margaret said and quickly walked away towards the meat preserver house, one that was constantly iced every few hours from a water chakra user. She came back with a bucket of different bloody meats and rested it close to the bird.

The contents were soaping wet – not at all frozen compared to the others and its smell was powerfully pungent. Rather than drawing the beast away, he swooped down beside it, stretched out his neck towards Margaret and let out a thank you cry before sticking his head in greedily to feast.

Meanwhile, she walked behind Qweche and told him that she was releasing the latch from his package before doing so. At this, he simply raised his head up for a moment to reveal his bloodied beak before diving back into the bucket. She unfolded the satchel from his chest, looked through it and smiled.

"Otou-chan always writes letters for all of us." Although her spoken words suggested some sort of routine, Tenten could tell that she was gushing with appreciation and love. "Oh," She paused at one and Tenten lost breath in expectancy. "And one for you… uhm, not from my dad of course." Margaret laughed and handed her one crisp envelope.

Tenten took it from her. She glanced at the letter and smiled softly. The way he wrote reflected his personality: clean, precise and perfectly centered.

"We can leave it for later, I on the other hand would love to have my morning bath." Margaret said and walked back into her hut while she waved the envelopes in her hand.

"Y-yes." Tenten answered in a flustered quiet voice. She walked the opposite way and left the letter behind on her desk. But the feeling of its thin textured parchment lingered on the palm of her hands.

1

The caves always left a peaceful feeling in the air as the romantic lighting filled the dark area. The waters would emit a natural light while the cave was littered in shining rocks that took the light from the water and illuminated everything. The water was gently cool yet there were sections of natural hot springs inside craters scattered around the area. The cave also naturally turned into two paths. It was perfect for separating the genders and there were even smaller pools hidden deep within that were good for a more private setting.

It was in this place that Tenten had found herself able to relax and enjoy that luxury. Except this time, she found herself edging towards the end as she anticipated for the appropriate time to leave.

If she left too early, Margaret would be suspicious but if she left at normal time, Tenten didn't think she could survive that long in anticipation towards Neji's letter. She settled for halfway although she wasn't entirely sure if she left half way on the dot.

"Leaving already?" Margaret asked with a raised brow. She seemed unbothered by it.

"Yes…" Tenten started off slowly as she climbed out. "In all honestly, I'm really eager to read the letter that Neji left." She finally confessed and gave a bashful smile.

Margaret responded back with a sly one, understanding in some capacity how she must have felt. Tenten rushed through the dirt trails and tried to be as polite as she could when addressing the villagers who had just woken up. However, her greetings were half-hearted as her mind focused on her friends far away.

 _Is Naruto alright? Jiraya? Princess Hinata? How was Neji…?_

She couldn't imagine the man fondly writing letters so casually. A part of her grinned as she tried to think of all his friends beyond RIC and her mind blanked.

Either she knew him well enough to know that he was a fairly closed person or she had no idea who he really was. Right now, it didn't really matter. She just wanted to hear and experience what was going on beyond the tall wall of these trees.

Eventually, when she reached the confines of her hut, she rushed to her desk and suddenly stopped. Her mind that had been intoxicated of thoughts of the letter died at the sight of the actual object she had been fantasying about just a while ago.

She promptly sat down in front of the desk and ripped at its side, shaking out the thin bundle of papers. Her eyes darted to the top of the page and read the following:

 _Tenten,_

She took a deep breath.

 _I commend you for your work and congratulate you for making it thus far despite you stating that nothing has happened as of yet. However, stating that, I assume things have finally taken a turn and that you are on your way to training._

 _I report that there has been movement to Jiraya. The medicine that Lady Esther sent us has sparked a reaction out of him. He opened his eyes yet no words have left him. Because of these circumstances, I made the decision to bring Tsunade for his wellbeing. Despite these setbacks, we will continue to watch diligently._

 _As for Naruto and the rest of the team, there has been nothing to report as of now._

Her heart sunk as she read these things and her eyes seemed to dull at each passing word. It wasn't necessarily because Jiraya failed to respond but it was because of how the letter was dealt with. It was oddly distant despite the letter being from him.

Perhaps she shouldn't have expected anything less or more, knowing that Neji wouldn't be the type of person toget personal on a business note. She sighed and flipped to the next page.

It felt more of a duty to read it.

 _Aside from those things that I have reported, I must admit that I have never really written a letter so casually and I apologize ahead of time if I'm less eloquent than I should be._

Tenten's eyes widened along side a smile that began to grow from her. She found herself being interested once more.

What were the things that Neji wondered? Felt? Experienced?

 _These certain words from your letter has clung onto me no matter how many times I have tried to shake them: Love is the bane of honour, the death of duty. I will admit_ –

"Tenten!" A loud unruly voice interrupted her.

She jolted from her seat at the sudden sound that drew her attention away from the letter. She peered over her shoulder to see that Lady Esther stood by her door with her arms crossed. A wide grin matched her suddenly bouncy mood. "It's time to pack up, our training starts now."

1

She loomed over her small satchel and scanned her hut to make sure she didn't leave anything important behind. When suddenly, the letter caught her attention. She quickly grabbed it and shoved it safely in the satchel before she stepped outside.

Her eyes widened at the appearance of the entire village that gathered for goodbyes. Once she stepped foot, they pulled their attention away from Lady Esther to Tenten. Her heart immediately warmed up and was glad to have gotten to know them throughout the 1 week of festivities.

She couldn't believe she was sour to the idea of getting to know these people at first. Nonetheless, she was now engaged full heartedly into saying her goodbyes - most of all to the 4 girls who had been by her side the entire time.

"Good luck Tenten…" Margaret said in a singsong tune. "Don't tell anyone but I think mom's a lot tougher than dad."

"I second that." Lisa said with a faint ghost like smile.

"Shh, don't let them intimidate you." Reina winked. "Dad and mom have their own strengths… it just so happens that mom is exceedingly capable when it comes to physical strength and endurance."

Lastly, Abigail offered a gentle smile that seemed to wash away some worry from Tenten. "Just learn a lot Tenten. That's the most important part."

"I'll try?" Was all she could say before she waved one last goodbye to everyone.

She turned and jogged to Lady Esther who had already walked off into the trees. Tenten bounced at each step, excited to finally start training… until the 3rd day hit.

"Where are we going anyways? And how long is the travel to this place anyways?" Tenten whined and relaxed from the formalities of language.

She was tired and made it her goal to grumble constantly since Lady Esther kept her awake. Ignoring the physical struggles of walking, crawling, climbing through different types of terrains; baring all the different types of weather; hostile animals; poisonous herbs; natural earthly surprises like quicksand; in the dead of the night when she finally managed to find a comfortable position on the hard ground and feel warm enough by the fire, Lady Esther would spring up an attack.

Why?

Because Tenten needed to know how to be alert at _all_ times… and for various amount of training mumbo jumbo that just echoed in her head like meaningless words.

"At times when one does not know where to go, it is wise to keep going and perhaps then, they shall find the path ordained for them." Esther said in response to her question and Tenten sighed. She was not surprised _at all_ that she had been given some parable/proverb that made no sense.

However, when they finally finished the first week of their travel – Tenten had gotten used to lack of sleep and strenuous amount of work involved. As a matter of fact, she enjoyed the late night brawls with Lady Esther. She found it as a good way to release all her frustration and anger.

A few days after that, Lady Esther had finally relented her hand and allowed Tenten to enjoy her sleep, if she could even go to bed. Her body was used to being attacked that her mind would toss and turn in expectancy.

"Why are you so tired? Didn't you get some sleep?" Lady Esther prodded in the morning after to which Tenten only responded with a forced laugh.

The next night after and knowing that Lady Esther wouldn't attack (or so she hoped), Tenten suddenly remembered the letter of Neji and dug in her satchel to find the crumpled paper. Some of the edges were damaged and moistened but she was thankful that it was still legible. She skimmed over the parts she had already read, and finally found the place where she left off.

 _These certain words from your letter has clung onto me no matter how many times I have tried to shake them: Love is the bane of honour, the death of duty. I will admit_ _I do not understand the full capacity of what it means._

 _I have always considered love to be an emotion that can be controlled much like sadness and happiness or even ideal requirements of the body like hunger and thirst. Yet despite believing this, I cannot help but think of Elder Yulie who had abandoned his post of honour and duty by marrying outside of the clan to Lady Esther – whom he clearly loves faithfully and it frustrates me that I cannot grasp why._

 _Perhaps it is this thing that we call love; but then I am forced to admit that I have no knowledge of something as infinite or something as strong as this force in which we label as love. I have never been forced to examine these things as of now and I am embarrassed to write down my unorganized thoughts in such a way. Much like now, it is foreign to me as much as love is._

 _You had mentioned family before and how the parents you have known to love have died therefore placing you in a position where it is easy for you to denounce any former ties for the sake of our country. And now you struggle with grasping what you would do if you were to be placed in a situation where you do have family in this foreign place with a group of people that aren't from Konoha._

 _These are hard situations that for me – seemed at first - easy to address. I would continue denouncing your former ties whether that is family. Yet sitting with this, I wouldn't know what to do if I had discovered that my mother was alive and engaged with questionable acts that don't necessarily benefit Konoha._

 _I am like you in some ways – both my parents have passed as well and when I took the RIC life oath to serve under the royal family, these decisions came easily to me considering that the entire royal family and council is my actual family of blood._

 _Yet what if they weren't? Would it have been any less difficult for me to accept? Just the entire idea of my royal blood, of destiny and fate has always been something I have struggled in understanding. I'm sure you have some sort of knowing in this considering that you know what happened between Naruto and I, and how I originally had intended on… hurting Hinata._

 _But now, I am simply going on a tangent. In short, I admit. I don't know what to say to you but I ask that you bare us all in mind. The people of Konoha when you're forced to chose to side with either us or your family… and to also bare in mind the consequences of going against your life oath. I bid you farewell and look forward to reading how things are for you in your next letter._

 _All the best to you,_

 _Neji_

Despite her finishing the letter, her eyes continued to roam over the page. It was so heartfelt and sincere – so out of Neji. She recalled a conversation they had when he confessed he wasn't much of a sentimental person or the type of person to write his thoughts in journals.

She wondered that day what went on in his mind and here it was: raw and real. She was lost for words and thoughts as she faced the fact that she really did care about Neji – not just as a colleague or fellow warrior but also truly as a friend.

There was such a humanistic side to Neji she hadn't grasped before. In a way, it reassured her that she wasn't alone in this. That _he too_ struggled with these things…

She sighed, folded the letter back and tucked them within the pockets by her breast. She was at a lost for words. How she thought of how she ought to respond but she felt like they were far from her grasp.

She had to focus on things _now_ and think about _him_ later. For now, she would just allow his words to swim in her mind as it cradled her into peaceful slumber. The comfort began to settle in and for the first time since she left Havilah, she was able to finall sleep soundly.

When she woke, she could see that the campfire they placed had fizzled away. The sun was high in the air, suggesting that it was noontime. Her muscles and bones groaned from their deep rest and confirmed her suspicion that she _had_ slept for a long time.

Yet there was no sign of Lady Esther.

She stood and stretched before she examined her surroundings. Eventually she followed a trail to which she believed Lady Esther had taken. Not long after, the forest cleared into a cliff opening where Lady Esther sat by the edge and looked out into the distance of a mountain.

"Do you see that?" Lady Esther pointed at the only mountain in the middle of the low valleys. "That's where we're headed… inside that volcano." Tenten nearly stumbled onto the ground.

"Inside a volcano?!"

"It's been dormant for centuries and the properties inside is what we need to unlock a part of you… into unlocking the memories of who you once where." Lady Esther stood up and patted the dust from her pants. "It will be 5 days before we finally reach it. I plan on cutting that down to 3. Are you ready for that?"

Tenten was quiet, dazed and in awe. She couldn't believe it until she locked eyes with the older woman and saw how serious she actually was.

"I am." She responded.

123

It had officially been two weeks since Neji last wrote the letter and he was oddly anxious to hear from her again. He found himself pacing back and forth along the hallway of where Elder Yulie stayed and was quick on his feet when the Elder called for him.

"My wife sends the last batch of medicine." Yulie told him and placed down the small carton of veils.

Neji frowned when he realized that there was nothing else for him. He glanced once more at Qweche who was now nestled on his branch. Slowly, he approached the table and reached for the carton, expecting to find a letter underneath.

"There was no letter from Tenten." Elder Yulie informed him casually. "This short letter from my wife explained that they are finally off to Yoku Omoideno, to the Well of Memories. It's a long pilgrimage, my daughters tell me." He offered a small smile before he continued reading his letter.

Neji accepted the news – whether he liked it or not, he didn't know. He was glad for her but admittedly; he was disappointed.

Why? He wondered.

Could it be? He missed her?

A loud stern knock on the door disrupted his thoughts and both Elder Yulie and Neji were forced to look at the door where Sai stood.

"Jiraya is awake."

1

Both men were walked quickly through the hallways although not fast enough to draw unwanted attention. Upon arrival, they could see both Tsunade and King Kakashi by the bed. Neji could barely hear the conversation as they neared. When they presented themselves to Jiraya, the old man offered a grin.

"Good to see that you boys are still in tact."

"Lord Jiraya." Neji bowed slightly to show his respect.

"No need to show formalities boy, I'm on a bed for goodness sakes and I can't seem to move without aching."

"There was a lot that happened since."

"I can tell…" Jiraya frowned. "I mean, look at you Kakashi – wearing linen meant for a king. What the hell happened? Where's King Fugaku?" Suddenly, a deathly chill silenced everyone.

"You mean you don't remember?" Tsunade asked softly.

"Remember what?"

"They're dead…" Kakashi started off. "The entire Uchiha clan is dead." The man in bed widened his eyes and the remaining soft colours from his cheeks flushed away were flushed away.

Again, he was retold the news with great horror and his reaction was the same as the last.

He vomited.

12345678

THE EDITED VERSION

Dundundunnnnn… :3


	7. Chapter Six: Kairos

Chapter Six: Kairos

"What do you mean they're dead? They're dead and I missed it?" Jiraya stuttered.

The room shared an uncomfortable silence; the machine that had been attached to his pulse waved up and down with great haste.

"No. You _did_ go through that. It seems we're dealing with amnesia." Tsunade finally broke the silence, which seemed to calm the tension in the room and elevate some of feelings of helplessness.

Even at this moment, Neji let out a small sigh.

"It's something that has been documented before. It's new, but it has happened. How far back do you remember?" Tsunade asked as she took her notes.

"I… remember giving my farewell's to the Royal Family. They were on their way to Konohagakure… I went back to my usual routine…" He raised a heavy hand against his forehead. "And then…" He paused and let out a grunt of frustration as he struggled to remember with what lay beyond that. "I was in my office and then I remember hearing a scream but…"

"Do you remember your name?" Tsunade cut in.

"Of course I do. It's Jiraya Otsuka…"

"Who exactly are you?"

"I-I was the son of an author, Hochu Otsuka and my mother Toru. We traveled a lot. We charted new lands, explored cultures and civilizations…" He paused, figuring that it would be enough to satisfy her but she continued her doctoral and cold gaze.

He sighed and continued, "But the adventurous life was starting to wear my mother down and eventually she caught a heavy illness. She didn't make it and dad was never the same after that. He decided to settle down in Konoha and because he was a successful, we lived in a decent home.

"Despite that luxury, I never was the type to settle and my desires sparked my mischievous side. By the gods, I don't know how but that mischievous side caught the attention of Hiruzen Sarutobi – the military leader then, who became interested in disciplining me. He traveled frequently which was the main reason why I agreed to the mentorship so quickly but little did I know that it would take everything out of me. Perhaps dad also didn't see the severity of the mentorship either when it was proposed or perhaps he figured that I needed it.

"Either way, he decided that it would be all right as long as I stuck to Hiruzen. After all, he was one of the strongest. From our many travels, I met you." His eyes locked on Tsunade. "and Ori…" This time at the mention of a distant friend, he looked away with a disheartened frown that failed to smile despite him trying. "We grew up, learned a lot which allowed us to graduate from our mentorship with Hiruzen. I continued my path as RIC, you became the palace doctor, Ori claimed his inheritance in Kirigakure.

"It was a quiet good life. Even if it was only for a short moment until the war of Tale's End came along... However, this was no surprise. Even before we knew that it would come. There were so many rumours and tensions rising with political and royal leaders- assassinations and such." There was a heavy sigh that followed after that.

"Needless to say, after years of heartache and deaths, the war eventually ended. I disciplined Naruto, left RIC and was promoted to be the Konoha Ambassador for Kumogakure." He gave one final weary smile towards Tsunade who seemed shamed as she looked away.

Neji could sense that some details that involved the two were clearly left out because it wouldn't have benefited the situation. She cleared her throat before she continued to ask him another question.

"And what happened after you woke up from your coma?"

"I told you that you were gorgeous, you cried and fell on my chest which I can attest that your honkers are still nice and firm." He winked at the flustered yet aggravated Tsunade who raised a shaky closed fist.

Neji nearly slipped upon hearing the words from Lord Jiraya's mouth. The rumours of the old man being a pervert suddenly didn't seem like a stretch. Before then, he was so sure that someone as honoured as Jiraya surely wouldn't be a pervert yet here was a blatant and unashamed act of disrespect.

Sai was unmoved and had his usual eerie yet smiling face while Kakashi offered Tsunade a sympathetic look. Clearly, he was unfazed which suggested that Kakashi had already encountered this side of Jiraya.

"I swear to the gods Jiraya, if you weren't so already messed up in the head and if you weren't such an important asset right now, I would love to beat you back into a coma."

"I had to take my chances." Jiraya snickered.

"Well, at least you're still you…" Tsunade let out a sigh as she dropped her fist. "It seems like we're dealing with retrograde amnesia: you've lost a portion of your memory due to trauma. Mostly likely caused by a head blow or some sort of physical damage to your head. Top that off with physiological damage and your brain decided to forget in order to protect your sanity."

"Che, out of all the things. My brain couldn't handle the sight of a massacre and erased all that. I must have gotten weaker throughout the years."

"Don't say that about yourself." Tsunade cut in. "It's not something anyone should have to go through."

From the corner of Neji's eyes, it looked like she was holding back a flood gate of mixed emotions: sadness, mourning, anxiety and such – emotions that Jiraya didn't want to see scattered on her face so he aimlessly stared at the ceiling. Clearly, he was still disappointed in himself.

"So when will he remember?" Sai asked after a moment of silence.

Tsunade sighed and shook her head before she responded.

"It could be a few days, weeks, months, years even and sometimes never."

"Well we can't take our chances. Every passing day, we're giving time for the enemy to plot." Sai's eyebrows deepened in concern.

It was moments like this when he came off incredibly insensitive but even then, Neji appreciated that Sai was the bold one to point out what was necessary in order to complete the job. Everyone paused as they all tried to think of some way to help with Jiraya's condition.

"Couldn't we wait a few more?" Tsunade asked. "This past month in wait has been time consuming so shouldn't waiting a little bit more be no harm? What about your spies?"

"I've managed to gather something small." Sai started, unsure if the information he had was even worth the mention. "From my sources, a small group of servants had been chosen specifically to attend some gatherings away from home with the younger masters. These young masters don't just choose anyone but prefer to select the ones that they truly trust either based on past history or some sort of pledge."

"Hm," Kakashi mumbled. "That _is_ odd. Maybe a hunting trip maybe?"

"In some occasions but lately it's been frequent and they don't bring back much kills. Especially if they're gone for more than a few days."

"That is suspicious but we don't know the details in between. Perhaps they enjoyed their gain in a cottage somewhere." Neji suggested. Although this piece of information was indeed small, it gave them something to cling onto.

"Perhaps." Sai said. "But I do not want to force my birds out. It could get messy and lead back to me… and that would only start some sort of revolt after they find out that the spy is tied to Konoha."

"Of course." Kakashi whispered. "I prefer that my countrymen don't start doubting each other. That kind of division could destroy us."

"I would have tailed them myself if I didn't have to keep watch of Jiraya." There was a 'tsk' from the man mentioned. "However, seeing that he is alright, I can go now."

"Because your only source so happened to be useless?" Jiraya mumbled. He referred to himself with great distaste and continued to glare at the wall. "There must be something that can be done." He suddenly turned a sharp eye to Neji. "Is there some sort of chakra binding technique that can dig into my mind?" Neji was taken aback and tried to go through his past knowledge of such things. Seeing that he could not pose an answer, Jiraya shifted to Kakashi. "What about you Uchiha's? I know that your men are capable of infiltrating the mind."

"Mind tricks, yes." Kakashi said. "And maybe we _can_ go into past memories but even then, only the Uchiha clan pocessed the ability to wield the sharingan. My single eye alone couldn't possibly bear that." Jiraya cursed under his breath when suddenly, Neji remembered something. The expression on his face made that evident and everyone looked his way, eager to hear what he had to say.

"I remembered that Elder Yulie said something about the Well of Memories!" He lightly patted his closed fist on his open palm. "He called it Yoku Omoideno but it appears to be locked away in the Eastern Forest." Everyone's faces deflated once they heard his final words.

"How would we even get in?" Tsunade asked softly.

"Why don't we just ask?" Neji suggested. A chorus of faces all turned into the same expression: disbelief.

1

"And that is why we were hoping that you would allow us to go into the Eastern Forest." Neji finally finished and his eyes carefully watched his Elder's expressions.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Neji mimicked in disbelief. He had expected some sort of battle – a toss and an exchange of words before he would get an approval.

"Well, I'd have to inform my wife ahead of time but I see no reason as to why not. I'll have my two boys escort Jiraya."

"Shall I accompany them too?" There was a long pause before Neji quickly added. "I have been given the sole duty to watch over his life after all."

"Perhaps… if you so desire although it will be futile. I will say this now, you will not be allowed into the Eastern Forest. Although Jiraya will be welcomed inside, he will by no means enter the village but will be led straight for Yoku Omoideno." Neji tried not to appear disheartened as an image of a disappearing Tenten appeared and left his mind.

"As long as Jiraya enters and gets his memories, I shall endure whatever it takes whether I will be waiting for weeks."

Elder Yulie's face continued to remain emotionless.

"When do you plan on assembling for your leave?"

"As soon as possible."

"Then let us contact my sons and I shall inform my brother-in-law of our plans."

Neji bowed after this.

"Thank you." Not long after, the very next day in the early dawn of the morning. A small party gathered to say goodbye to the boys that were assigned to leave with the weary Jiraya. King Kakashi had offered them the fastest and brightest horses to travel on, Tsunade packed a satchel of medicines and food while John Angustie's pigeon were already on it's way towards his hometown.

Sai, on the other hand, had left at midnight to prepare for his own trailing mission and had bade his farewell once he received news that their plan was in motion.

With Alexander in lead, Isaiah in the hind, Neji was in the middle with Jiraya knocked out behind him. At first, the old man had been stubborn by insisting that he could ride on his own until he took a few steps from his bed. He was far too weak to do anything on his own and was reluctantly forced to ride with Neji. In the end, it worked for the better since Alexander insisted that a smaller group would be faster and less suspicious.

Yet Neji knew that the minor details didn't matter if Jiraya couldn't even remember his memories after going to Yoku Omoideno. So for once, Neji found himself praying to the gods that everything would work out despite never believing them before.

123

Tenten could not fathom that they had made it to the volcano within 3 days. There were moments when she wanted to give up but thoughts of the endless possibilities eventually fuelled her enough to continue on. Not only that, Esther's small taps gave her a burst of energy – she was fairly certain that she was doing some sort of chakra exchange.

Now here they were at the entrance to the mountain – it was thin and hidden amongst thick branches of vines and shrubs but the moss covered rock sculpture signalled to the females that they were indeed at the entrance.

"Are you ready?" Lady Esther offered Tenten a smile - a smile that broke through despite how obviously tired she was and Tenten couldn't help but respond likewise. With Lady Esther in the lead, they moved aside the vines and squeezed through the hole. Tenten followed.

Once she entered, she was caught in a wave of shock as the noise from outside: the rustling leaves, whistling calls of various animals such as birds and mammals all seemed to stop. Rather than the peaceful ambience of the wild that she grew accustomed to hearing from the past week and more was drowned in the piercing silence.

The darkness that engulfed both women did not permit them to see each other, let alone their own hands if they were to place them right in front of their faces. In this moment of walking blindly forward, the lack of sight extended her hearing and she was frightened to say something in fear that the silence would swallow up her words and render it useless. The silence she faced from the outside seemed to amplify the sounds she could hear within her body: her shallow breathes, her quickening heartbeat, the ringing of her mind and the subtle beads of sweat that were starting to form from her forehead. Every rustle of her clothing were painfully loud in this space of deafening succession.

"E-Esther?" She called out and was slightly relieved to know that the atmosphere around her didn't swallow her voice.

"I'm here." That simple response was enough to reassure her to keep going. It was weird. Despite the two not going into detailed accounts of their life stories (thus not really knowing much about each other) – they had formed an unspeakable bond that was filled with undying trust.

From a distance, as they continued to ascend, Tenten's ear itched for the low murmuring sound of the cave's atmosphere. Noises that soothed her head as she was able to orient herself in the new space she was soon to approach. Light was breaking forth, spilling into the cracks of the wall that silhouetted around Lady Esther.

Not long, the two were out into a wider area with more than half taken by still waters. On the ceiling was the large hole that opened up into the sky allowing the faint sounds of the outside to the pour into this sacred place. Tenten was indeed amazed but admittedly, she found that it was lack lustre – the bathing caves in Havilah were far more magical.

"Now let us rest." Esther smiled, throwing her satchel down on the ground with a plop. She lay down and without a heartbeat, was already asleep. Tenten followed quietly, learning from the past few weeks that in everything Esther did, there was always a purpose. So she decided it would be wise to do exactly that.

When she lay down she realized that the ground was oddly malleable and cradled her every bump much like powdered sea sand. This was such a pleasant amenity in a time and place like this. Not only was the ground reminiscent of a bed, it was warm; and with the air around them being equally warmed yet slightly chilly enough, Tenten found herself asleep in no time.

1

A few gentle pats on her arm were drawing Tenten out of her deep sleep but she refused to let go of the soothing dreams of home: back in Konoha surrounded by friends and loved ones where she was away from the nightmares of massacres here. But the pats grew more persistent and harsher as they moved into shaking her awake. She could see the images in her head disappear and they were doomed to be forgotten once she was fully awake except for the small lingering feelings that clung to her.

She opened her eyes with a scowl and turned her head to face her mentor and before she could grasp the situation, she looked beyond Lady Esther's face towards the sky that shined beautifully with all it's stars. In the center of the opening, she could see that the crescent moon was directly in the center. Then she sat up and examined the area, whose atmosphere completely changed from the last time she had seen it.

The ground that she had slept on was glowing much like the starry skies – certain beads of the sand emitted a warm bright blue colour. The waters responded gladly as it reflected the ground, the walls and stars, hiding within its depth a galaxy of dancing light. From the glowing ground, the wall's stones reflected in pleasing colours that complimented the scene.

Tenten immediately withdrew her statement from earlier when she had believed that this place was lack lustre.

Once she finished admiring the scene, she was surprised to see that Lady Esther was naked and bare. She watched as the older woman walked deeper into the pond and as she had done so, a mirage of memories flashed before her eyes on the walls. Noises and voices from each corresponding memory echoed against the stones and filled her ears.

She wanted to swear from shock and amazement but something deep within her knew that a sacred place such as this should not be tainted by words such as those. In fact, she felt guilty for even thinking about it.

When Lady Esther's lower torso was covered; she turned around and motioned Tenten to enter as well. "Do not bring anything apart from yourself within these waters. Even the tiniest things such as earrings can disrupt the energy from these ancient waters."

Tenten was careful to follow these instructions, glad that she wasn't the type of girl to wear extravagant and complicated jewellery in the first place. Once she was naked, she placed a hesitant foot inside the water, expecting it to be cold but rather, it was a pleasant temperature that invited her to continue on further. She did and looked up onto the walls, fascinated as the place projected her past memories into the air.

"Do you feel like some are missing?" Lady Esther asked, also looking at the walls before staring at Tenten. She wanted to say yes but found that her voice chocked up in her throat and instead, nodded slowly, feeling ashamed and embarrassed.

She never liked to admit that the life she knew before felt awfully empty. All she could remember was her mother and father who worked for a powerful lord whom they served for the majority of their life until they were shipped off to Konohagakure? During which, her parents died, she survived and eventually became a maidservant of some noble families related to the Uchiha's before being transferred to Hinata.

The details hazed in her mind and she had no record of anything else. The sequence made sense but somehow, deep within the recesses of her soul, she felt empty as if someone had stolen a large part of her.

"Well then, shall we find the missing parts of you?"

It was such a simple question yet oddly stirring for Tenten as her eyes watered and all she could do was nod.

"Turn around." Lady Esther commanded gently once they were both facing each other. When she did, Lady Esther's hand fell on Tenten's shoulder to guide her into the water, encouraging her to float on her back while her entire body except her face would be submerged.

Tenten battled the need for sleep.

The rhythmic sounds of underwater were lulling her and the warmth soothingly rocked her into sleep. Although she had a wonderful nap earlier, perhaps she hadn't realized how tired she really was. From her open eyes she could see her memories plastered on the wall – memories unknown to her.

"Don't fight it." Lady Esther whispered. "Let yourself go."

It was an odd request but Tenten did.

She slowly let go and closed her eyes. Despite her act of surrender, she felt aware and could feel herself sink deeper and deeper within.

When she opened her eyes she could see her physical body lying down and Lady Esther in the same position as they were when she had her eyes opened. However, they were growing smaller the deeper she fell and although this should scare her, she allowed it. No longer could she hear the sounds of the caves but now all she could hear was the echoes of water currents around her. The light from above was starting to disappear but before it did, she stopped sinking.

She then found the energy to kick herself up so she was standing and looked at the emptiness around her.

"Meditate." She heard Lady Esther's familiar voice echo around her.

Confused and unaware, Tenten remained in the same spot before deciding to sit down. With one heavy breath, her eyes remained open while she concentrated on trying to control and center her seemingly intoxicated mind. Her mind was heavy and thick, which was incredibly difficult to penetrate until a blinding light shoots from the darkness.

Reflexively, her arms rose to shield her face from the burning sensation until the voice in the air said: "Allow yourself to be immersed and continue concentrating."

Oddly enough, she complied and lowered her arms, surrendering to the force that began to wildly spread around and inside her.

At first she heard a soft and gentle cooing that carried a sense of peace each time the unnamed babe continued to fondly call out. Tenten opened her eyes and could see a woman cradling her child, reflecting the same smile from her own babe except for the unstoppable tears that trailed down her face.

A few beads of tears rained onto the baby's forehead and instead of being bothered by it, it's eyes widened and let out another fit of giggles, completely unaware of the mother's distress.

"I love you Tenten, I love you so much. Don't you know?" Her mother whispered and pulled the child to her chest. She then lay on the rickety bed in the small yet cozy cottage.

Her eyes widened upon the realization of her name being called out. Although there should be a wave of emotions running through her, she could feel that there was a wall in her heart that stored all her feelings and would continue to do so until she finished.

When exactly?

She wasn't sure but deep within her, once the end would come, she knew that she would be ruined.

In the meantime, she watched patiently as her mother sung foreign lullabies to baby Tenten. She found herself engrossed and extremely observant of her mother in the smallest capacity: the contour of her nose followed by her concave philtrum that swept back up at the jutting of her pink rose lips. The way her sharp and defined jaw suited the length of her caramel hair that cascaded over her shoulders.

All she wanted to do was remember every detail of her mother; afraid that the very person she had forgotten already would be forgotten once again. She engraved her deep within her heart, hoping to remember this moment when she woke up from whatever she was going through.

Despite all her attempts and a certain knowing that she _would_ remember, there was still a small nibbling fear inside of her that faced the chance that she _wouldn't_ remember.

Soon enough, baby Tenten fell asleep and the new mother laid the sleeping babe gently against her chest while caressing the small back of her child. The Tenten who watcjed closed her eyes as well, who also was able to feel the warm of her mother's body against her cheek and the gentle soothing pats.

"Mama." Tenten whispered.

A small part of her just wanted to get it out of her system while a small hope wanted her mother to hear the reflection of love behind that simple call.

Time passed, all the time in world it seemed and yet she wasn't tired of watching the stillness of it all. Rather, she was slightly disappointed for it to be disrupted by the loud opening of the door as a rugged and tall man welcomed his wife with a kiss who had now been weaving together a blanket.

"Papa." Tenten said in slight surprise and lifted her head from her palm.

Her eyes remained curious as she watched the man. It was then she realized how young her parents looked. Clearly she felt she resembled her father far more than her mother. His figure was big and his dark chestnut hair and deep chocolate brown eyes was a reflection of Tenten. She giggled at that, seeing the way he stumbled in placing his gain down on the table, washed his hand of any blood, changed his sweaty tunic and fumbled upon carrying his tiny babe.

"I'm home." He grinned, lifting Tenten's head against his shoulder to kiss her. Instinctively, Tenten ran a hand against her forehead as she felt the thick brushes of his beard tickle her.

From a distance, her mother had laid her half finished blanket onto her lap to admire the scene of her loved ones. She was smiling but Tenten continued to wonder why she had cried before. Oddly, she was at peace despite these questions looming, and a deep sense in her knew that all she had to do was wait to receive the answers. By knowing that the answer was soon to come, her mind readied itself as she anticipated the change of scene.

Within moments, the world moved quickly – night became day and day became night. The figures of her parents weaved in and out of the house in blurred streaks while the once tiny Tenten grew.

Tenten waited and watched until time slowed down and when it had, her parents were arguing. She frowned and stood from the stool to examine them closer as they raised their voices in sharp whispers as to not alarm their toddler who was swinging her legs from her own bed – watching silently yet closely.

The older Tenten leaned in to hear their words, quick words and sentence that carried a lot of context she felt she was missing but certainly she knew that there was a war taking place at this moment.

Fragile and hazy memories filled Tenten as she knew that somehow all the countries who were fighting against each other was sparked by the assassinations and miscommunication by certain families of royalty. There was the obvious driving forces that led the war against each other: Konoha and Kumo; they had always been two kingdoms that carried enmity throughout generations.

"We're not leaving you." Her mother persisted.

"But it's safer if you both go back to Havilah – your family is there and they aren't being affected by this war."

"I was shunned remember? After I married you? Don't you remember?" She was shaking at this point. "Don't you remember that we'd never leave each other? How could you even suggest I go back to them?" Her eyes were glossed with thick layers of tears and were stinging red from holding them back.

"Of course I remember." His voice became so gentle as his eyes reflected his heart that was stirred with compassion. "I just wouldn't know what I would do if I lost you and our daughter. It's just safer for the two of you…" He leaned towards her and lifted her chin gently with his cupped fingers.

Although it was a struggle for him to smile, he did so earnestly at the comforting thoughts of safety for his family.

"W-where would you go?" Her mother asked as equally soft as she allowed the tears to flow from her eyes and melt into his arms. Her father let out a deep sigh as he cradled his cheek on top of his wife's head and his big arms wrapped protectively around her, caressing her back.

"I... wouldn't know." He confessed, allowing his own eyes to become teary as well. "But I know for certain that I will find you."

The scene disintegrated before her very eyes in bright light as the scene transformed into a picture of thick trees and a thin road. Her mother and toddler self was riding on their horse with many essentials tied to its back. Her father was right beside the horse, leading it down the path.

There was this solemn silence between the parents but little Tenten who was oblivious to the issues around her was loudly expressing her joy with her stuffed toy. Her rough play with the small tiger caused it to fumble from her hands but her father easily caught it and handed it back to his daughter with a sweet smile.

"Thanks papa." Tenten squealed as she hugged her toy and guided it above her head. She titled back and fell against her mother. She looked up and both mother and daughter shared a smile before Tenten went back to playing.

The tension in the atmosphere was so tangible and real that the adult Tenten who watched the scene could not help but feel a portion of the anxiety that they had felt. This left a lingering impression on her, as she was appalled by how dense the young girl was.

Throughout the silent trip, they eventually encountered a small band of soldiers who led chained prisoners down the path.

"Be careful citizens." The general said. "There's been some reports that a few enemy spies have gotten through and are raiding innocent ones in order to force the hand of the Lord's. Where are you headed?"

Tenten's father and mother shared a quick glance between each other before her father responded.

"We were hoping to find shelter alongside the Eastern Forest. We hear that it has been unaffected from the war."

There was a scoff from the soldiers.

"The people of the Eastern forest hold no true alliance to Kumogakure. Your hope is futile; they are not your salvation. Rather, why don't you consider joining the army? It seems you are fit enough to serve, why have you not reported to your Lord?" The general's eyes wandered off to the bow and arrow strapped to her father back as well as the hatchet tucked within his belt.

"I have no Lord, I am a simple man who has made a satisfying living from hunting and being with my family."

"Fine, off with you then. May the gods be kind to you on the roads. There is an Inn occupied by our house just a day's journey if you find the need for the rest." Each party bade the other farewell as they both continued down their opposite paths. And for the most part, it seemed that the gods were truly watching their journey until the worst happened.

In the mid afternoon as they finally saw the inn from afar, they were ambushed by men – although Tenten was fairly certain that they weren't from Konohagakure. Their facial features were more reminiscent of Kumogakuran men and their clothing did not bare the sigil of the other country.

"Stand aside, there is no gain from us. Only a woman and child." Her father seemed to know this, otherwise, if it had been the enemy country – he wouldn't have been able to negotiate so boldly.

"The countries gone to shit" her mother flinched and instinctively covered Tenten's ears. "and you see, your wife and your child could fetch us some fine coin." The group of men stepped closer, forcing Tenten's father to stand between them and his family as his hand reached for his hatchet.

In total, she counted twelve men.

"Stop, why must you do this to your own countrymen?"

"Although we once believed in loyalty and honour, we see no reason to uphold them. Where was the country when our own land got pillaged and where were the soldiers while our wife and children got raped and slaughtered? We pledged our oaths to our lords and in return for our service, we received nothing but lose."

"Then why do you live if all that you love has died? Wouldn't it better to die yourself?" Her father had fully grasped his weapon while her mother had reached for a dagger strapped by her thigh. The other man who seemed to be their main spokesman broke into laughter before shrugging.

"We decided that whatever remaining life we do have, we would avenge our families."

"By hurting and slaughtering your own countrymen? Wouldn't it be wiser to let your anger be felt by the Konohagakurans?" The leader of the bandit's face snarled into deep disgust. All his rage was released with a cry as he ran towards Tenten's father and swung at him.

Her father's first concern was kicking the man away from the horse in order to not startle the animal in case it would fall on his wife and child but even then, the horse was starting to panic as his nostrils flared in discomfort and his hind legs began to dig at the ground.

Once the leader stumbled back, her father counter swung at him and said loudly, "Leave me! Head for the inn!"

"I'm not leaving you!" Her mother retaliated, grabbing the reigns in order to control her horse that anxiously galloped in spot as he tried to disperse the men surrounding them. Luckily, their horse managed to knock out a few who were foolishly behind the horse but the overwhelming amount subdued the animal.

In a last attempt to escape, the horse raised his front legs and shook his rider's off of him before galloping down the road. As they fell, her mother wrapped her arms around Tenten and took the impact of the heavy fall. Her head slammed hard against the dirt road and she lay unconscious.

Her father was outraged and was helplessly attacking each men that came for him while trying to get close to his family. This time, it seemed little Tenten finally seemed to understand the gravity of the situation and all she could do was remain still from shock. But when a strong hand that was not her father's grabbed her tiny arm, she began to wail as she screamed for her father.

"Papa!" Her heard cries gave her father a shot of energy despite his fatigue as he desperately continued to fight. But when she saw him kneel on the ground – stabbed in the back, little Tenten let out one giant scream that drew the bandit's attention. Everyone froze or at least not willingly as they all found their weapons unable to move from its spot.

Each weapon within vicinity began to tremble – even the arrows from her father's quiver floated into the air and all the sharp ends of the weapons turned and pointed at the attackers. There were a few scared screams once they seemed to realize what was happening.

Some fled, some stumbled back but all that they had done to avert the incoming disaster was futile.

Each weapon had been locked on the opposition and within a few seconds, the weapons were released, catapulting from their spots and impaled them - leaving no one alive. In the brutality of it all as the weapons continuously stabbed the bodies until there were no more screams or breathing from them, little Tenten remained in the center – crying.

The older Tenten who was present the entire time, knelt down and sat beside her younger self. Waiting with her until someone came. Eventually, off from the distance, she could see noble riders hasten their speed once they saw the onslaught. A very handsome man in lead jumped down from his horse and quickly swept Tenten who was still crying.

"Papa, papa." she chanted as she pointed to her father who had been on the ground with a thin pool of blood around him.

"Check for a pulse and make sure the lady is alright."

It was then that Tenten finally realized that the man who had carried her was Kakashi – except he had no mask and his eye was not covered. It was hard to distinguish at first but here he was.

She also recognized that his armour was far different from the men around him – a custom set reserved for those who were directly under the Royal Raitons. Seeing him, she instantly recognized the young boy who had followed them. He was still on the horse but it was clear that it was Prince Itachi, only a young teen.

Kakashi went back to consoling the little girl in his arms and checked her for signs of any hurt. "It's a good thing we saw your horse from far away." Kakashi told her softly as he pointed at the mentioned horse tailing near the back with one man looking after it.

The little girl continued to cry softly, tired yet still distraught. Clearly she did not understand what was going on and who these new men were or how important they were, but it seemed she was smart enough to understand that they were men who would help.

"The lady is alive although most likely suffering a concussion and the man's pulse is faint. We've taken the initiative to patch him up. As for the others, they're all dead." One soldier reported.

"All dead? Hmm, let us take this family back to the Inn and hopefully try to figure out what had happened." Kakashi nodded and settled Tenten to ride with him. Before he jumped on his horse, he looked over at the Prince who was still in shock over what had happened. "My prince?" Itachi blinked a few times before slowly turning his head towards Kakashi.

"Weren't these our own men who had attacked each other?" His voice was small and rough, thus marking the transitions of his puberty.

It was obvious that it was the first time he had witnessed this and it did not settle well with him. Kakashi sighed and jumped on his horse and turned it to move closer to Prince Itachi.

"I've seen dead men who had fought against each other but our own people turning ravage?" He asked it so quietly, knowing that he did not want to display a weak image of himself towards his men.

"War makes lines murky, your grace." Kakashi answers softly. "These men were clearly hungry and desperate. Therefore, when you reign, bare these things into mind and choose what kind of king you would want to be – one who seeks a life of peace or the other who desires war."

Tenten could see that Prince Itachi was in deep thought over these things, clearly he had engraved these words in his heart yet still, her distant dream of Itachi burning down the ship of his own family lingered in her mind as they rode back to the inn.

1

Little Tenten refused to leave her father and mother's side, as they were both in bed. Obviously her father was in far worst condition but she felt glad that he was at least breathing and as each hour passed, his breathing grew stronger and with each flinch from his eyebrows or fingertips, a new hope surged within Tenten. While the little one focused on staying awake for the sake of her parents, the Tenten from the present wandered around the room.

Earlier, she had tried leaving the room but from then on out the world faded off into the deep whites of the unknown. So she paced back and forth, even going so far as to lean against the bottom of the creaky floorboards to eavesdrop on a few conversations.

However, the multiple conversations from below made it difficult to distinguish which one was important. They all shared a common topic: family or war efforts.

Reluctantly, Tenten continued pacing until she heard the heavy footsteps that pressed against the squeaking floorboards outside her room and she made her way outside. Like always, there was nothing but a faded world and small quick flashes of the figures talking but standing there made their voices louder.

"I understand now, why I must insist on marrying Hisana." This voice clearly belonged to young Itachi.

"Why is that?" Kakashi asked, although knowing the answer, his voice was curious and open to hearing the rambles of the young boy. "Is it because she's the prettiest? The one closest to your age?"

"They're a wealthy family. They're essential for the war."

"Perhaps." Kakashi answered. "But there's also the Rinkah, they have men trained and dedicated to war. What makes Hisana different?"

"Well," Itachi continued. "Tying our families together would do well for the stability of our country. Especially since there are many who are loyal to the Yagami Household and they bare much more land than the other candidates."

"Correct." There was a pause. "But how are you to rule better than your own father if all you can see is how far he sees?"

Tenten was taken aback and although she could not see Prince Itachi's face, she could imagine that they shared the same expression of slight surprise yet deep thought. The footsteps continued this time, sounding more distant.

She walked back inside and waited alongside with little Tenten who had wrapped a wet cloth over her mother's head. As she diligently wiped her mother's face and continued on towards her father, her mother stirred and her eyes fluttered to an open.

Little Tenten did not notice until the shuffles of her mother's movement were loud enough. Tenten glanced up and immediately ran back to her mother's side as she jumped her for a hug.

"Mama!"

"Tenten?" She whispered back, clasping one hand on her child's cheek. "You're alright?" The child nodded, fighting back the tears she thought were long gone. "That's good."

"Mama?" Tenten asked in a whisper as she tried to fend of the tears from falling down.

"Yes sweetheart?"

"Is daddy going to survive?" Her mother glanced at her husband.

"It sure looks that way."

Her mother smiled softly before stroking her husband's cheek. The two remained silent as they appreciated the sound of his steady breathing before little Tenten blurted out:

"Am I bad person? Did I do something bad to those men? The soldiers said they were dead – dead means they never wake up. It means they never get to see their families again." She was sniffling at this point, failing the fight of her emotions as she sobbed and her voice broke.

"No, my love. Shush now." Her mother spoke even more gently, trying to wipe her daughters tears away and pulled in whatever energy she had to wrap her arms around her daughter.

"Am I broken?" Tenten continued on in despair.

"No love, not at all." Her mother persisted as she stroked the back of her Tenten's head – the little girl's hair that was usually tied up into two buns had been flowing back for the past few days. "You're gifted is all." She whispered into her child's ear. "Cheer up love. Without you, I think your father and I wouldn't even be here and besides, those men no longer had a family to return to. That is why they were desperate and did terrible things to people like us. We mustn't allow them to spread their misery."

She leaned back, cradling her daughter's cheeks with both hands.

"Understand? You are a _good_ girl." Tenten sniffled but nodded nonetheless before accepting her mother's kiss. "You're so _good_ , you must be tired from waiting. Come child and sleep." She insisted, moving closer her husband to leave space for her daughter to crawl into.

She had and once she was settled and tucked in, her mother turned onto her side to inspect her husband who was still unconscious. The tired mother prompted herself up with her arm and let out a sigh once she was certain he was all right. Certain that he was, she leaned her head against his as she snuck in a soft kiss.

Seeing that everything had now settled in the way everything ought to be, older Tenten sat on the windowsill as she allowed time to pass quickly as it had done so before.

The very next day, Kakashi had accompanied Prince Itachi to bid the family farewell but had left a note with his seal imprinted on it. Her mother had placed it carefully on the bedside since it was addressed for her husband. It was obvious that her mother was just as curious as Tenten but she had remained respectful to her husband's property.

As the days had gone by and when her mother had regained her strength, she alongside with Tenten would help clean the inn as payment for their stay.

Tenten wasn't certain how long it was but surly it was less than a week until her father finally opened his eyes.

Time had slowed down once he had.

It was dark and small Tenten was drifting into slumber while her mother was awake, repairing a few sheets. However her husband interrupted her concentration as he called out his wife's name with a dry and tired voice. She immediately stood up, falling by his side and grasped his hand while weeping silently.

Once he was certain she was by his side, he cleared his throat and said "Tenten is like your people." At first her mother was perplexed and seeing this, he tried to go on. "Tenten… s-she killed all those men. I-I saw it with my own eyes…" He licked his dry lips, trying to continue on before taking another deep breath. "The weapons rattled and flew up into the air before striking our attackers." His words were slow and laboured which gave his wife the much needed time to accept the words of her loved one.

"I had seen it as well… when she began to cry I awakened for only a little while. I think the horror of it caused me to faint and I thought that what I had seen was perhaps an illusion but now that I know that you had seen it too, I can no longer deny this." She sighed, looking at her daughter. It was so clear, reflected in her eyes, she could not fathom how her little girl could do something like that. "However, I am very curious as to why… I was never as gifted in chakra control as my parents."

"Perhaps… the genes skipped you and traveled down to our daughter." His eyes glazed over to the ceiling so he wouldn't have to crane his head all the way to his side.

"What if the people find out? What if they want to use our daughter as a living weapon?" Her mind instantly thought of the worst as she recalled the tales she's heard as a child. "That is why we stay away from the outsiders. We could never risk being found out. People were known to take our kind and force them into experiments." Her eyes immediately stared at her husband before she looked back at her sleeping child. "We can't let that happen." She sobbed into her husband's chest in which he affectionately caressed her back.

"We won't let it happen." Unwillingly, the scene began to fade out much to Tenten's dismay.

With great frustration, she looked around as the scene helplessly shape shifted into the outskirts of the Eastern Forest. There was so much more to hear, knowing that her parents were most likely to discuss the letter and their plans on what to do with Tenten.

Now, she stood by her parents; they both looked into the forest. It was dark out with nothing but the stars to light the way. It was wise of them to meet in the night. It drew less attention.

As each minute came by, there were loud groans of wood twisting and eventually the opened trees formed a clearing to reveal a small group consisting of men – one in his young adolescent and the others were older who no doubt were the ones to shift the trees.

There was a tangible tension between the two opposing sides before Tenten's mother looked up at her husband and reassured him with a nod. Their eyes both reflected an intensity of love for each other and their faces both shared a type of sadness before Tenten's mother, with little Tenten held by her mother's hand, waddled awkwardly as she looked back at her father and horse.

Her last memory was the haunting sorrowful look of her father that stitched into Tenten's heart as they walked to join the other group. That was the last thing she remembered before the trees groaned once more and closed around them, leaving her father behind.

1

The journey inside the forest was a stumble through the pitch black and thick path of curving roots and bushes. The only source of light was from the single torch that came from the older boy in lead.

"It's been a while aki." He said, grabbing the attention of Tenten's mother. Tenten's eyes widened as she realized he addressed her with thecognate of 'older sister' in their native tongue. "Your daughter looks like you… she's beautiful."

There was a playful scoff from her mother in response as she looked down at her daughter who no doubt had no idea what they were discussing. "I hear that she looks more like my husband." A sudden tension fell on them at the mention of the taboo man but her brother quickly swept up the mood with a simple response: "Either way, she's still beautiful."

The rest of the travel towards Havilah was long and quiet. No one spoke any longer except when signalling each other of the possible pitfalls in the forest. When they finally arrived, they had given her mother an older hut that was farthest from the center of the village.

"Does mother and father still not want to talk to me?" She asked her younger brother softly just before he was about to leave the home.

He lingered by the door; his hurt and concerned expression masked by the darkness of the night.

"They still love you… we all do but you knew the consequences when you decided to marry a foreigner. It's by miracle that you're even given this opportunity to enter again."

A pause.

"Whom shall I thank?" She whispered softly as she lay her sleeping child down on the bed beside her.

Another pause lingered.

"Princess Esther?" He said, uncertain of the answer.

"The last time I was here, she was exiled for marrying a foreigner, even more so for getting involved with someone of power within the Kohonagakure clan."

"You're right and she had gone off to find him once again, this time, her brothers have joined her. Their actions have stirred the thoughts of the elders and the chief. That is why, they are willing to welcome the exiles back but inviting foreigners in whether they are given the right from marriage is still a tricky subject."

"Ah, I understand." There was a long pause as both siblings wanted to speak freely to reacquaint themselves over what they had missed in each other's lives.

They clearly missed each other, that was obvious enough but none knew whether it was appropriate or right. Little Tenten eventually opened her eyes and looked at her mother then the man by the door.

Her tossing broke the silence and she continued on by asking, "Where's papa?"

"We shall see him soon enough." Her mother responded, caressing her cheek.

Tenten lazily gazed at her mother before shifting her attention to the man who was still by the door.

"Are you my family?" Her innocent question sparked a slight sense of surprise and sadness on the man as he hesitated.

"Yes little one." He responded, giving them one final smile before walking off.

"Mama?" Tenten asked, surprised. "Why are you crying?"

"Shh," She cooed gently, tucking Tenten in. "Don't worry about that. Get some rest."

1

When morning came, Tenten and her mother prepared to enter into the bathing caves. It was as beautiful as older Tenten last remembered and rather than joining the giant pool of water, her mother found comfort in going deeper to find a smaller and private area.

Older Tenten felt conflicted in the moment as her younger self's feelings flooded into her while it meshed with her understanding.

It was clear that her past self enjoyed the soothing warm waters, splashing it forcefully while indulging in it's bright colours that reflected from the glowing gems around them. At the same time, it felt isolating. Tenten felt the weight of being an outsider.

Their walk from the hut to the bathing caverns made that obvious. People avoided them, turning their head away to not look. Even in small ways when the people saw them both while they were indulged in their conversation, would pause and their smiles would instantly sour into frowns.

Although the older Tenten was not present with her mother during her walk of shame, she felt like she was suffering with her. And she applauded her mother for being able to walk through with her head held high and without a waver of weakness in her face to show despite how hurt she actually was.

This entire process was isolating and she wondered how long they were to remain here.

It was odd that the village she first believed to be friendly was actually quite the opposite in another time.

It was odd to think that her mentor suffered the same fate by marrying someone like Elder Yulie and although she did not know her full story, she did know that she had to raise Alexander in the Eastern Forest alone.

Perhaps the isolation was unbearable for Lady Esther and it forced her to leave and find Elder Yulie.

Perhaps it was from her leave that her brothers finally decided to listen to their heart and act on their great love for their sister rather than adhere to the ancient rules of their people to support her.

Yet knowing this, there were still lingering questions as to how this all occurred in the first place.

Tenten sighed, running a hand through the water – it did not react to her touch but she found comfort in doing so. She waited patiently for the time to pass and soon there was the communal breakfast. Everyone gathered in the center of the village, sharing their gains from the other day to make glad conversations with their fellow people except it was obvious that this did not apply to Tenten and her mother.

They were off on the side and sparingly received small-unwanted portions from the others. It was a good thing that her young self was not picky and ate gladly.

Soon, her mother's younger brother joined to give them a larger share.

"Eat." He insisted. "You will need your energy and a sound mind when you lay your petition to the chief and elders." She was shy to do so but had taken his plate. Silently, they both watched everyone else enjoy the company of one another. "I remember when we were both children and we wondered what it would be like to be all grown up and give back to the village. It's weird living that right now."

His conversation was random in the midst of their silence, but they both came to appreciate the exchange.

"I remembered trying to offer up some herbs as a child because I wanted to help out." Her mother smiled, recalling a memory.

It was so foreign to Tenten as she was discovering portions of her mother she wouldn't otherwise know or remember.

"Mother was all too kind to decline my help and placed them away. Obviously I didn't know she didn't use them but you did. You were so convinced that she simply forgot and snuck it into the breakfast soup." They were both starting to smile as they anticipated the ending. "Everyone that day had really bad diarrhea – excuse my language."

They both burst into laughter.

"It was a good thing they served the antidote soup just a few minutes later, otherwise, the entire village would have stunk."

Soon their laughter died down and the only thing that remained was this unexpected stinging as reality hit them. The reality that these intangible moments were nothing more than memories of a different time far less attainable now and that new happy memories could not be built up.

"What about your children?" Her mother asked softly. "Have they ever gotten into any trouble?"

"The older one in some occasion. He's just a little younger than Tenten and the youngest one is still sucking on his mother's breast. Too small to walk." He smiled softly. "How about your little one?" He glanced at Tenten who looked back up at him with big eyes.

She smiled at him and he had received it back.

Both missed the shadow of sorrow on the woman between them.

"She's a lovely girl. Quiet and observant at first but once she's familiar with something; she's a spark of life." Her words full of affection were evident by her smile.

She reached a soft hand on Tenten's head.

"There was one time this little one refused to read until she was certain how each letter sounded and looked. When she was finally confident, she wouldn't stop reading! Everywhere I went, she would tail behind me with a letter or book and constantly be reading that out loud."

"Hey, you're talking about me!" Tenten quipped, followed by a giant smile and giggle. Her mother simply responded by kissing her cheeks. After a moment of silence, her uncle begins to shift in his spot and cleared throat, which caught the attention of his sister.

She glanced at him with a raised brow.

"We have decided to arrange a meeting concerning your requests." There was another short silence as Tenten's mother glanced at an older woman from afar who had quickly looked away once they made eye contact.

"Is it alright if I leave Tenten under your care?"

"Of course." He was so sad despite his smile; clearly his thoughts were tangled elsewhere. "We can leave her with my wife and that way, you can formally meet her too."

Just as her uncle had said, her mother had met his wife.

They both greeted each other with a slight curtsy – the wife being the first to do so. Their conversation was light and delicate, surface level and nothing beyond that before Tenten was handed over to the woman who also had a young babe in her arms. Little Tenten clung onto her aunt-in-law with eager hands as she was led towards a pen of wild beasts.

Instantly, the Tenten from the present knew what would happen as curious Tenten ran towards the tiger she was drawn to and with a gentle hand reached for his nuzzle.

The tiger did not flinch but only stared his golden eyes towards the young lass to acknowledge her before laying his heavy head back onto his crossed arms. Despite there being other beasts of the wild, Tenten never left the tiger and even joined him in a nap.

The past world began to disintegrate and like always, Tenten anticipated the next scene until it did not come.

She stood in the vast white, waiting for it to change and was uncertain as to what to do until a small object from above caught her attention. It was hard to distinguish at first but as it fell, she recognized it to be a beaded necklace creating riffs in the white space and eventually broke through the emptiness by introducing a new area.

They were in a throne room, albeit far less extravagant than the gold, marble and silver decorations of the Konohagakuran throne room, nevertheless, it was still one. The intricate designs and woodwork of the oaks, cedar and alder patterned a room of awe from its tall ceilings. Along the hallway were small steps that led to a magnificent sculptured chair that was crowned by antlers.

A large man of long black hair and a greying beard preoccupied the chair.

His eyes were cold and distant, chilling and harsh as he looked down the hallway. Behind the throne was a semi-circle table where men of different ages, though mostly old, sat behind to listen and form opinions with the king. One of the men was none other than Tenten's uncle.

Soon a man from all the way down the hall announced in a loud voice the appearance of Tenten's mother. As expected, both double doors opened as her mother walked down the hallway with wavered confidence, which was quite the opposite of how she was amongst the citizens. When she was within vicinity of the court hearing, she knelt before the leaders.

"State your request." The king's voice was expectedly low and slightly raspy and Tenten could not help but shiver at the intimidation of his call.

"I have a great favour to ask of you, if it pleases the king and the elders." Her voice was gentle and surprisingly calm.

"Go on."

"I would like a request for my daughter's chakra to be sealed." There was a slight gasp as the elders behind the king began to chatter amongst them.

However, one man was silent, never taking his eyes from the girl and only pressed his eyebrows closer together. He watched patiently, waiting for what his majesty might say.

Likewise, her uncle remained expressionless.

"You are willing to deny your daughter's birthright? For her gifts to be suppressed in order to live amongst the deserters?" The king's words were harsh and cold yet his face did not display his emotions as openly. He didn't stop there, his nose scrunched in slight disgust as he continued; "You have already been titled as one yourself when you married an outsider and it is by my mercy, that you are here amongst us despite your exile.

"Yet your request is insulting. You yourself have not been blessed with the god's gift and now that your daughter has been, you continue to seek extremes to sever whatever ties you have to your kin? If that is the means, and once your daughter is sealed that makes both of you deserters – exiled and to be killed once you step on our land; land that you are no longer connected to. What can stop me from killing the both of you for trespassing?"

The murmurs stopped.

The younger men openly displayed concern – no doubt some of them were so young that they most likely grew up with Tenten's mother. Her uncle had tensed from his king's words and she could see that he had his knuckles clenched tightly together. The older ones remained unmoved as they waited patiently, wondering what their king would do.

"You are a just king with great mercy and grace. You have led our-" She paused and corrected herself, " _these_ people through victory and peace." Her mother wavered as she inhaled. "I understand you are honour bound to follow through with the laws our forefathers have made, laws that prospered us for good and kept the chakra bloodline healthy.

"However, I also understand that you are a king with great love – love for your family but also love for your people. Surly, because of this, you can understand why I _must_ request such a thing. A lowly outcast I am, tis true but the love _I_ bare for my family reaches beyond my status here and because of my love for them… I am willing to take great lengths in keeping us together even if that means my death."

Tenten was amazed by her eloquence just like many of the elders except for the one who was silent all along. He simply smirked, displaying a sense of pride almost.

She continued: "As you know, despite the Foresters not associating with the outsiders, they are not ignorant of the situation that surrounds them – of the wars, the trials and the hardships that they-" she paused and corrected herself, "that _we_ are facing. Therefore it is clear that people are desperate, would I even suggest that they are desperate enough to use any means to win?

"My daughter has displayed a great amount of gift by being able to control weapons within her vicinity and went so far as to mutilating our attackers. The gods truly have gifted her but I fear, much like our history states, people who carry these gifts become abused and used – manipulated to serve one's selfish gains. I beg thee, that in this time of war, let Tenten be a plain girl much like I so that our family can continue to be together."

There was a long thoughtful silence from the king and amongst the elders as well – some who had been whispering to each other all seemed to agree to her explanation.

"Why not raise her here?" the voice of the distinguished old elder who had been silent up until that point had finally spoken loudly. Everyone raised their head to look at him. "If you stay here with her, you can return to your husbands side once the war is finished. That way, she can still cultivate what she had learned and continue to protect you when she had mastered everything."

Tenten's mother opened her mouth to protest but he continued on, cutting her off.

"However, if you wish to remain by your husbands side. Why not leave your daughter here and come back for her once she has bloomed. By then the war should be over and your daughter does not need to deny her birthright. Besides, rather than living as an exile, it will give you a well excuse to visit her. It's a guarantee that she is safe here."

"I beg your pardon." Tenten's mother said. "But I state again that I refuse to separate from my family."

"And you have done that in the past and are doing so as we speak. What makes this any different?" His voice was cold cut and even from where Tenten stood amongst the elders, she could see her mother flinch.

"I-I…" She hesitated. It was the first time Tenten had witnessed such hesitation from her mother. "I fight for the family that I have now." Her answer came out meekly and quietly, so much so that it sounded as if she did not believe in herself.

"What will you do once your daughter is sealed? What good will come of you and your family?" There was slight disgust from the elder's voice.

"Father. Please." It was Tenten's uncle that cut the man and she was instantly taken aback once she pieced two and two together.

"Answer me." The old man persisted, ignoring his son and demanding a response from his daughter.

"We would leave this place and make a name for ourselves elsewhere." Her answer was cold and ignited by anger. "My husband was offered a position to work directly under one of the Lords." Her face might have expressed her annoyance but she had kept her face downwards towards the ground.

There was silence, seemingly long but eventually the king moved in his throne before bellowing out a laugh. It felt foreign in an atmosphere so tense but it was needed and welcomed.

"I shall grant you the wishes of your heart. However, beware. She will always be drawn towards her gift, towards the very thing that she had been born into. The things that follow soon after are unpredictable – essentially, territory that has not been explored yet. I shall ask you once more, would you take that risk?"

"I do."

A seemingly long pause came about the room as the king observed the knelt woman in front of him. He waited for her to retaliate, for a slight moment of hesitant take back and when it did not come, he waved his hand. "

I shall grant your request." He declared and the elders seemed to let go of the breaths that they held from the long awaited answer.

What would come of this family? It seemed that even they could not be entirely certain.

Tenten on the other hand, was soon to find out.

The scene did not change from the throne room but the time of day had. It was now night and from the windows above, she could see that the stars were far brighter and gracious in their light to reign down some illumination for the people below.

A loud creak from the hinge and wood broke the silence of the night and once the shadowed figures entered inside, a burst of flames broke out onto every candle.

From where she stood, she was able to make out the shapes of the people approaching the open room: her younger self, her mother, her uncle, her grandfather, the king, his queen and two old stewardesses.

From the colourful group, it was the queen that stood out the most. Aside from her fancy jewellery that clearly stated her position amongst her people, it was her thick and heavy robes that suggested she was a _holy_ woman of some sorts. Likewise, the two old woman who tailed her sides carried around rods that sprayed the sound of chiming bells with every step they took as they purposely hit the end against the floor in a chilling beat.

Even now, the distinct beats of the footsteps and bells brought back an instinctive fear within Tenten's core. A sense of doom washed over her, as if she would be anticipating her death soon. The closer the group got to the stage, the louder and quicker the stewardesses stomped their staff.

In response, Tenten's own breathing would become short and quick, as she struggled to breath in this increasingly anxious atmosphere.

Everyone aside from the women sat down in the seats of the Elder's crescent table. The queen pulled aside her hood, revealing her face that bore a strong resemblance to Lady Esther except it was covered with intricate markings and again, more jewellery.

"Let us begin." The queen's voice broke out the patterned drumming's of her stewardess and instead, they stood still awaiting further instructions. "Formation."

In unison, as if they were performing a dance, the stewardesses did what was commanded of them and stepped diagonally away from the queen to form a triangle around Tenten and her mother.

The queen patiently waited until everyone was in position and when they had, she took a deep breath before slipping the heavy robes off of her body. Although she wore harem pants, her top was nearly bare except for the cloth that was wrapped around her breasts. Her skin was further marked with more patterns.

On cue, Tenten's mother knelt onto the ground as she lay Tenten down and began to remove her shirt. The half naked child curiously sat on the ground, confused and more tired than she was anxious.

"I shall give you one last chance to back out, is this truly what you wish?"

There was a slight hesitate as the woman she addressed the question to had her mouth twitch before replying with a seemingly confident "yes".

"Then we shall proceed and no matter how horrendous her cries are, you must bare it till the end. Otherwise, the outcome will prove to be worst than what is already expected." Her words sent a chill down everyone's spine, even the usually stoic king showed an expression of slight discomfort.

The queen began to move into an elegant dance as her stewardess's raised their thin and boney hands into the air, summoning balls of fire, water, earth, metal, air and wood respectively distributed within their hands while they shouted out unfathomable words that rattled into the air.

The older Tenten watched helplessly as little Tenten sat in the midst of it all, oblivious and exceedingly curious as to what was happening around her. Soon, the queen stopped her dance as she knelt down and grabbed Tenten's arm, forcing her small back to face the older woman. The little girl didn't fight but it was clear in her eyes that she was frightened and she hoped to look into her mother's eyes for any sense of comfort – to know that she was safe.

Yet her mother's eyes did not reflect this, anxiety was written all over her face as one hand held onto Tenten while her other covered her mouth.

"Mommy?" The words fell out of Tenten's mouth, both young and old, as they were now afraid to discover what would happen next.

The chanting's become obnoxiously loud and one by one the woman would throw each ball of element at the queen to catch with her raised hand. When she so happened to catch one, her hand immediately fell and forced her way into Tenten's back causing a hurtle of screams to come from Tenten of the past and the future.

She could feel the pain gnawing on her back, scraping and forcing itself into her. The second element she had forced in, little Tenten became limp but her eyes were open and awake.

Likewise, Tenten from the future found herself thrown onto the ground as she felt the impact smack heavily against her.

Her mother' body shook and trembled as tears streamed over her hands that clung tightly across her lips to stop her from screaming or reaching for her child.

The third time it happened, the future Tenten screamed in pain, finding herself crying out for her mother and shedding tears enough for the little Tenten of her past. When the fourth, fifth and final one hit, Tenten from the future knocked out, feeling completely numb and shattered yet her brain was oddly awake.

"Was this it?"

She hoped it was.

But it wasn't.

The queen's nails dug into the back of child and with all force began to pull. This awakened little Tenten to loud screams, for that was all she could do to give some small relief to the enormous amount of pain being done to her.

She could no longer control herself as her mouth slurred with saliva dripping onto the floor, mangled with tears that fell from her bloodshot eyes. It was embarrassing to watch now that she was covered in a pool of her own urine.

Older Tenten was disorientated; unsure of what exactly it was that the queen was pulling out but the wild winds that spun around them was enough to suggest that it was powerful.

Soon, the elements that were stabbed into her from earlier finally broke out from her skin; all six orbs and another one of unimaginable light joined them. When it was out and when the queen stopped pulling, Tenten also stopped and limply hung over the queen's arms that had been supporting her. With one final chant from the queen herself, she twisted the orbs and seared it into the back of Tenten to reveal the intricate seal.

The rest were hazy as the vision blurred and older Tenten passed out. The last thing she could remember was her mother running up to her and everyone standing up to see if the little girl was still breathing.

123

Tenten woke up, although she was expecting to see the bright white nothing that would soon pool into another memory, she was staring at the familiar open hole of the volcano that welcomed the sun into the otherwise dark cave. She was suddenly aware of the water around her and Lady Esther was no longer there.

A sudden rush hit Tenten, the wall that prevented her emotions from infiltrating during her memory walk had collapsed as she splashed up in helpless wails and laughter's of all the emotions she had experienced.

She found it difficult to breath despite taking deep breaths in the open air – real fresh air. As her lungs gasped greedily for more, she rushed towards the shore and rested her upper body on its sandy mud before looking up to see that Lady Esther was sitting there. Her back was faced to Tenten and she cuddled within her robe.

"That can't be all!" Tenten spitted out, still gasping and recovering. She was hyperventilating, finding it hard to breath. Esther turned around, touched Tenten's cheek to calm her down before responding.

"You're right." Lady Esther's voice was so small, so much so that if it wasn't for her words echoing in the cave, Tenten was certain she wouldn't have heard it. "A lot more happens but for now, we're just taking a break."

"A break?!" Tenten shouted in bitter anger. "A break? _You_ need a break? I just – you're people put me through that. If it's anyone who needs a break, it should be me!"

"You're right." Her voice was even smaller. "And I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to feel some of that… again. I wasn't strong enough… I wasn't strong enough to block out all the pain." Tenten paused from her words, looked at the sand that had clung onto her arm before looking back at her mentor.

"Block out?" Now it was Tenten's turn for her voice to trail off as she tried to piece together what she had meant.

"I was the bridge between your past and future self…" was all Lady Esther could say and it was all she _needed_ to say for Tenten to understand.

"I-." Tenten paused, gritting her teeth. "I'm sorry, you're right. We should take a break." She pulled herself out of the water, grabbing a robe to wrap around her as she stormed off.

No longer was her anger directed towards Lady Esther but she was uncertain as to whom to direct it towards – her village people?

The queen? The king? Her uncle? Her grandfather?

Her _mother?_

With another cluttered and frustrated scream, she squeezed herself through the ruins and final emerged outside, fuming and shouting out a multitude of curse words towards the open air of the forest. Her words echoed from the top of the volcano and as she fumbled about, kicking the dirt around her, she felt the presence of a giant bird swoop behind her.

She quickly spun on her heel and lifted both fists, ready to attack until she realized that it was Qweche.

The blood pigeon cocked his head to the side, judging her naked and confused self.

She lowered her fist.

"What's that? You got mail?" She was still rolled up in all her emotions; she didn't realize she was still shouting.

Qweche continued to watch her for a few more seconds before lifting one of his legs up to show that a scroll was bound up around it.

"For Lady Esther?" She asked and it cawed appropriately in affirmation. "Can I read it?" She played with the wax seal before glancing over at the bird that looked as if he had just shrugged.

Whether that was a 'go-ahead for her, at this point, she didn't care and went on ahead to do exactly that. She broke the seal and unrolled the letter, her eyes skimmed through its continents and her eyes widened with every passing word. When she finished, she ran back inside shouting out for Lady Esther.

When she was inside, she paused from her unruly shouts as she interrupted Lady Esther from her crying. She suddenly felt like the villain and she was cautious as she entered, watching and both looking away as her mentor quickly wiped her tears from her eyes.

"Y-yes dear?" Lady Esther asked, quickly brushing her hands across her eyes.

"Qweche came and had a delivery for you." One hand instinctively came and rubbed the back of her head while her other hand reached out with the scroll in the palm.

"Thank you." Lady Esther said, taking it from her and reading it. "Ah, it looks like my sons are coming back with an old friend. It's quite unfortunate he lost a portion of his memory but at least he is alive… Hmm, it looks like break time is over. We'll need to have your brain in order before we begin with his."

"Are you sure you can handle it? Isn't there someone else who can replace you when performing Jiraya's memories?"

Worried.

That was what she felt for her mentor.

"I am the only one so far who has mastered this art aside from my mother. What must be done must be done." She passed Tenten with a smile, hoping that that would be enough to reassure her at least. "Now then, shall we get back into the water?" She stood, flipped the robe off of her to reveal a brightly red and seared back. Tenten grimaced at the sight of her torn back, knowing that it will eventually heal completely and leave her back flawless unlike Tenten's faint scars. "Come along child, we must hurry." Lady Esther's words snapped her out of her thoughts and before she knew it, she hurried into the water and prepared herself for the next segment.

123

Neji had been cooped up in the small abandoned cottage since their arrival to Havilah. Both Alexander and Isaiah persisted that he stay there until one of them, or perhaps a carrier comes and sends him away.

He had to admit, he was anxious to get out and do something – to receive answers or perhaps to see a fellow comrades face. But here he was, stuck again, forced to wait in a foreign place in another helpless situation.

123

Tenten's life flashed quickly before her, filling in gaps of what she had forgotten. Indeed, after her powers were sealed, she had forgotten any memories tied to Havilah and lived a particularly safe and comfortable life as a maid for Lord Hamasaki.

Her father was able to get away as being a personal butler (referred by Kakashi) – learning in etiquette but also able to protect the man who ruled the sea. There, Tenten grew up with her best friend Janine. One particular memory stood out when she had encountered the Royal Family of Kumogakure!

She had squealed and fantasized with Janine with what it would be like to be married to a Prince. Obviously, Prince Itachi was already promised to someone, that they knew but it was the possibility of Prince Sasuke that interested them.

He was around their age, single and _handsome_.

They were probably 9 when they visited, well beyond the time of war ending and had begun preparing for their lunch arrival.

That night, as the royal family stayed, was also the same night that everything chanced. She was a silly girl and had decided to sneak out and go to an abandoned tower to get a better view of Prince Sasuke in his room.

Her 9-year-old brain seemed to make sense of it, something she could later brag to Janine about. But that night, things did not go according to plan. Instead, she had witnessed Lord Yohan Hamasaki's son, Hideki, playing around with a servant… but not just with any servant, rather, he was fooling around with the stable _boy_.

Obviously her not so quiet little mouth let out a loud gasp, thus interrupting the two and forcing Hideki to chase her down the tower and threaten her.

Future Tenten watched in complete shock as Hideki pulled little Tenten against the grainy stones, grasping her by the hair and whispering vile insults in her ear. All alongside, old rusty weapons and molded armour that have now become forgotten decor began to rattle violently around them.

All this stopped once he had let go of her.

Still even, she came down and told her parents who listened and agreed that she ought to keep it to herself. However, the next day, there was a hearing quickly after the absence of the royal family, concerning their leave and how there service is no longer required now that the war was done.

Lord Yohan Hamasaki's son stood by his father with a smug expression, only to rile up Tenten and force her to shout "But I didn't tell anyone that he was with the stable boy!" A loud gasp rung through the room and what soon followed was the after waves of awkward and tensed silence.

"She's lying father!" Hideki quickly jumped and shouted in his whiny voice.

"Enough Hideki. Enough." Lord Hamasaki said with a great sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose and shifted his attention towards the small family gathered before his great seat. "You have served me well and loyally. The gift that I shall impart on you hopefully reflects my deepest gratitude. I understand how sudden this is but I believe you will do splendidly with the new House you shall serve. I desire that this does not end badly but rather, end on a peaceful note…

"Now concerning other matters, I request that you keep silent over my son's odd desires. I beg of you. He hasn't been the same after his mother's death on top of the war that had struck our country."

"F-fath-" But Lord Hamasaki quickly raised his hand to shut him up.

"Speak when you are spoken to, answer when you are asked a question but when the Lord of the house speaks. No one shall dare interrupt. Must these lessons be re-drilled in your head?"

His son bit his lips; his eyes darted towards the ground before shifting quickly to all the servants around him who he knew had broken into soft gossip. "

As with the rest of you," Lord Hamasaki sat up in his seat. "I trust my people but if anything were to be spread outside this hearing room, consequences shall be met. Understood?"

There was a great murmur of scattered acceptances before the hearing was closed. Next thing she knew, she was packing up and crying bitter tears as she hugged Janine and waved goodbye to the rest of the serving team as her parents and her both walked up the plank into a boat.

"It will be alright Tenten. We have survived things far worst than these." Her mother smiled at her, patting her head.

"We'll just miss the comforts of free food, warm interiors and the abundance of friendly familiar faces." Tenten added, with a dreary frown. All little Tenten could do was pout, still upset before asking, "was it my fault?" Her parents both looked at each other and let out a laugh.

"No little one." Her father responded. "The Royal Family was quite impressed with the way we served and wanted us to work for them instead. How was Lord Hamasaki supposed to say no to the King and Queen? He could not. It was simply a coincidence that you walked in on that indecency."

When he finished his explanation, Tenten nearly burst out in wide grin.

"The Royal Family?!" Her eyes were bright and big, her frown immediately wiped from her face as she found herself skipping with each step. "Wait till I write letters to Janine! And good! I thought it was all my fault!"

"Well, _you_ did kind of tell everyone when we were at the hearing." Her mother reminded her.

"But everyone already had a feeling Hideki was… _unnatural_. Every potential woman that came by, he held practically no interest but always kept his attention towards Yuki." Her father shrugged, leading both of them towards the cabins of the ship. "Come now, we have a lot to talk about with the expectations of the royal family."

But of course, just as Tenten remembered it, they never made it.

A powerful storm came up, sweeping their boat aside. Just as she had remembered as well, her father heroically bested the storm as he could in order to save anyone but alas, his efforts failed him when the emergency boat also succumbed under the torturous waves thus forcing the few castaways onto nearby land.

Tenten had managed to make it out with two other men. One had died shortly after landing, his lungs filled with water while the other had tried to pick up a trail in the wilderness with Tenten tagging along.

He was a quiet man, didn't really speak much. His name was Jouano, broad and thick shouldered who seemed stoic throughout the entire time. All she could do was trail along sobbing and even when she was tired of crying, she would continue to let out dry sobs and later faced a cold wall of nothingness.

She lost all motivation to live, truly had and she didn't mind dying.

Her entire world seemed motionless, only moved by the small string in her that forced her to continue to live on… perhaps that small string that pulled her to stay alive was for Jouano's sake.

After all, if she died, she felt that her death would drive Jouano to give up as well.

In the short few weeks, she could tell that they had gotten fairly close although they said nothing much to each other. He would always offer his servings up first, make sure she was warm during cold nights and always would glance behind him during their travel to make sure that she was strictly behind him.

Whenever she got tired, he would pause and sit down, offer her a drink before continuing on their journey – wherever that was. It was a massive land, she didn't really doubt his ability to find a place but it was almost as if it were some unspoken understanding between them, that they were both doomed.

Until the faithful night they were ambushed during their sleep. They had woken up by the nudging and pointing of sharp objects. They soon realized that they were encountered by a group of people wearing clothes completely sown out of leaves, beads and rags. They were a people who almost wore nothing and spoke a language far too ancient for the both of them to understand.

Until a ringing in the air as the shattered sounds of broken glass hit future Tenten's ear as she realized that the words once foreign to little Tenten was now in the clear for future Tenten to understand.

"Who are these people?" One man asked anxiously, no doubt in his 30's.

"They must be one of the city dwellers." Another responded. "Their skin is so pasty."

It was funny that they thought that considering that both Tenten and Jouano were considered dark amongst the noble families who were far more pale and pasty in comparison. Even Janine and the other servants were far paler than Tenten and since Jouana worked in hard labour, he was probably the tannest man she'd seen – far more than her late father (until this point obviously).

"What should we do with them?"

"Kill them, they're on our land and have abandoned the ancient ways." The man who had suggested this pointed his spear closer to Jouano, causing Tenten to jolt in semi panic.

The sight of her friend in danger triggered an immediate response that caused the weapons in their hands to shake, however, the tremors stopped immediately once an old man stepped forward.

"Perhaps they haven't nearly abandoned the good and ancient ways." The old man spoke up. "I sense the little girl is gifted but I also sense that something is blocking it. As is custom, we keep our people safe. Take them back to the village, let us host a welcoming for these tired travelers." Every so gracefully as he finished his sentence, he began to walk back into the dense forests and at the absence of his presence, the men pulled their weapons aside and followed him.

Tenten and Jouano who had no idea what the exchange was, glanced at each other in confusion. All Jouano really knew was they were no longer threatened and preferred to keep it that way.

He quickly grabbed whatever they had left and tried to retreat towards the opposite direction but Tenten had grasped him by his shirt and motioned that they ought to follow them. It proved them well when he had decided to listen to Tenten and follow the people that had threatened them a while ago.

They were given a feast, a dance of celebration as the people freely offered whatever food they had made to the two. It was the first time that Tenten had seen Jouano so happy as he laughed amongst the people he understood so little of. But perhaps it was the fermented drinks that got into his head. So much so, that he found himself flirting with one particular female who had managed to charm her way into his heart after a little dance, thus leaving Tenten's side and forcing her to sit alone.

After some silent eating, the young parents noticed and began to coax her to play with their children who had gone around kicking balls and objects, some even spinning them magically into the air and made an effort to involve her by throwing it towards her way. Perhaps they had expected her to catch it without moving her body. Instead, her arm rose, catching it the last second just a few inches from hitting her face and as everyone marvelled, she knew and felt that something was odd. She hadn't felt the impact of the ball when it landed in her palm and it held no weight for her until she had a full grasp on it.

Someone had stopped it for her before she even thought of reaching up and grabbing it.

"Perhaps not now." The same old man who had been the one to stop his people from killing them earlier had entered the scene as he spoke his language for his people. "Surly she needs time before she can warm up so easily." And with a boney long hand, he reached and grabbed the ball, throwing it in a perfect straight line towards the kids without so much as a flick of the wrist.

"How are you?" He asked, shifting his language into something Tenten could _kind_ _of_ understand in his thick broken accent.

She just smiled softly, not knowing how she could even respond considering everything that happened. "N-Not so good." She continued to smile, despite her obviously feeling horrid.

Flashbacks of her parent's last expression struck her head: her father who had looked down on them from the ship above as their smaller boat descended. There was a glimmer of hope in the midst of his sadness behind that smile of his.

On the other hand it was her mother's expression that haunted her the most. They were drifting apart in the heavy winds, there was this desperation as her mother tried to fight against the heavy storm to reach her but was soon swept away.

The last thing she could mouth before she was pulled under was the very words any loving mother would want to say to her child: "I _love_ you."

A comforting caress on her back pulled her from her thoughts and was soon met with a blurred vision covered from her salty blobs of tears that she had been holding back since her tears dried out. The old man didn't say much but continued to pat her back before delving into a soft lullaby that only allowed her to wail and cry out.

At first her cries had disrupted the celebration and although this would seem like a bad thing, turned into a beautiful moment as everyone joined in the singing of the lullaby thus propelling little Tenten to finally let her heart out.

Soon, future Tenten who had been watching was pulled from the memory and was brought to watch a sequence of her 6 months with the people there. She had learned so many things: hunting, farming, cultivating, cultural rituals and rites and yes, some of their language but most of all, she had rediscovered what chakra was (except of course, she hadn't realized she was reencountering it but rather learning it as a whole).

All this exposure brought her painfully close to her roots but they had gone with ear-splitting headaches that forced the chief to be more adamant about finding the release but was soon faced with the fact that indeed, he could not.

Seeing the pain that Tenten often encountered forced him to make the tough to decision for her to leave. She was at first resistant – these were now her people, she felt like she was home but when the pain had caused her to black out and to go as far as convulse, she agreed that she should leave and find this seal release.

The people of the forest then led her to the place where she had washed up on shore – the beach where she had grown to appreciate as something life giving rather than life taking. There, they hunted and now here they were going to make a trade with the people of the ocean who spoke no language familiar to either Tenten nor the people of the forest.

Often the people of the forest would exchange food for metals and weapons.

Although nobody understood each other in means of verbal communication, it was clear that throughout the years of interaction, they had found a way to be able to exchange meanings through their actions and expressions.

And that was what they had done, throughout their years of mutual exchange, they had built a relationship of trust and now the chief had placed a great trust on them when he had handed Tenten over – emphasizing that she was indeed part of them. "

What do they want us to do with her?" One asked the main communicator to which he simply raised a hand to brush aside that question.

"We'll talk about it later." Tenten had managed to understand now that the illusion of her memory allowed her.

"Do you think they want more metals?"

"Not sure, maybe we can offer a little more." The main communicator offered up a sum of metal that he deemed was reasonable for the young girl – she looked like a mess with her eyes swollen from a night full of sobbing and goodbyes. But once the chief had seen what they had offered, he refused the extra metals and made gestures that Tenten was one with them.

That she shouldn't be treated as a slave to be traded.

The man who had offered them the metals simply shrugged, taking back the goods and signalling his men to grab the bundles of food while he ushered Tenten to follow him.

The young lady gave her last goodbyes to the people she had considered family (Juano included) before she followed the boat people reluctantly up the ramp. She stayed by the railing of the boat, watching the crowd of her people grow smaller as they as she sailed farther and farther away – both parties staying until they could no longer see each other.

1

Tenten grew up with the people on the boat, only to recognize that they were pirates – the ones who stole and pillaged other boats. Despite how evil them would appear, they would often come back to their island where they had families and freedom.

By then, Tenten had grown cold to the warm callings of others – persistent on her goal to find the release of her seal. That way, when she was finally free, she would be able to get back to her real family, the people of the forest. She preferred to stay on the boat during the long weeks they would dock and from there, would use that time to train more strictly with the weapons she was exposed to.

It was also no surprise to her crew that she was gifted and talented beyond any experience. Practically any weapon she would touch, she would immediately know how to wield and use with a skill equivalent to that of a master.

She soon realized however, that when she relied mostly on her instinct rather than her honed skills, her headaches would come back and it was worst during the battle. There was nearly one time she had died if it wasn't for the captain stepping in – which was very rare for her.

The captain was a strong woman, who spoke when needed to but stayed silent for the counsel and opinions of her people. She weighed all words equally and was immensely skilled, especially in the wielding of the rapier and newly invented pistol. Both women who had lost family and feared intimacy with others naturally gravitated and grew a bond.

Tenten and her sparred often, speaking little in the process but cared deeply for each other. When her captain was being disrespected, Tenten jumped in defence for her whether through word or threat and likewise, her captain did what she could to gather information on her seal.

1

Within a few months, they had received their answer.

It was an incredibly hot summers day and while everyone else was enjoying the company of their family inside their nestled homes (no doubt enjoying cold sweet treats) Tenten was still inside the ship. Her back was against the shady part of the ship as her eyes appreciated the very blue sky.

Her thoughts were elsewhere but nonetheless the weather was appreciated. Like always, she was waiting for their next departure until a crewmate had gone up and called out to her.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts and calculations that she didn't even realize that he had been calling out to her until his bruised and tanned face blocked her view of that very blue sky.

"There's someone here to see you." He had said before snatching the rag hanging from his collar to wipe the sweat from his brow.

"Who?" She asked curiously, knowing well that no one would want to speak to her – no family nor any friends (and if so, she was fairly certain they believed she was dead). Her crewmate simply shrugged and looked back out at the port.

"She claimed to know something about that seal thing of yours." In truth, the Tenten of the time didn't understand his sentences but she had managed to piece together what he meant according to the words she did know.

From what she had gathered, she immediately jumped up and jogged to the side that looked out to the port where she saw a cloaked figure waiting patiently on the sunlit stone below. She was forced to squint her eyes from the brightness of it all and the first thought that crossed her mind was how weird it was for someone to be wearing something so dark and heavy on a day like this.

While she took her time observing, Tenten from the future hurried her pace to search the face of the mysterious visitor.

She indeed was keen on hiding her face; in fact her face was veiled with a thin layer of see-through cloth. Tenten was perplexed as she instinctively tilted her head to catch a better view of the outline of the woman's face. Despite not entirely knowing, she felt comfortable around this clocked figure.

It didn't take long for the Tenten of the past to finally approach and welcome her with the known language of the town.

"Greetings Tenten." The woman responded in a language that they were both comfortable with. "It's a pleasure to see you."

Both Tenten's – from the past and future were taken aback, both for different reasons but for very good reasons. One was surprised and suddenly cautious of her known identity while the other recognized the owner of the voice… Lady Esther herself.

Meanwhile, her crewmate lingered, unsure if he should leave her behind with them but once Tenten had waved a hand reassuring him to go on, he went on, looking back with slight concern.

"Who are you?" Tenten asked, glad that she was finally able to speak with someone who understood her. Yet part of her was also very cautious as one hand casually rested on her dagger.

"Someone who knew your mother fairly well when we were children." Lady Esther said. "And someone who knows the issues of your seal."

Once she had said that, a thick grey cloud that carried with it an icy cold temperature fell beneath her feet and pushed out a strong burst of energy that caused her cloak to flap open. No wonder she was able to stay so cool through the weather and it also proved to Tenten that indeed Lady Esther knew what she had talked about.

"So you'll release it for me?"

"Not quite. You see… it was my mother who had placed it on you. She seals, she releases."

"Ah, and in exchange for what?" The 11 year old crossed her arms in distaste as she leaned her head back to look up at her visitor. "What do you get out of all this?"

"Nothing much. _I_ don't get anything from this but I know the generation ahead of us will. Besides, our people stick together through thick and thin and you are part of us." There was a long exchange of stares as the young Tenten continued to eye her up and down before shrugging.

"Alright then. Let me just pack up and say goodbye to the people here."

"I shall wait in that boat over there." She pointed at a small yet sturdy cruiser with large sails for quick travel.

The goodbyes didn't last long, as a matter of fact; Tenten had managed to catch Esther as she was walking up the ramp of her ship.

"Alright, I'm ready. Let's go." She said, beating Lady Esther up the ramp and then spun on her heel to face her. "Hey. What's your name?"

"Ah. It's Esther."

Tenten smiled widely. "It's nice to meet you Esther."

"It's nice to meet you too."

1

Throughout their travels, Tenten was taught the history of her mother and the drama that happened when her mother decided to break tradition by exiting the sacred grounds of her people and marrying someone from outside the village. Not only that, her mother had made it even worst by marrying someone who had no gifting in the chakra.

Essentially, she had gone against the very foundations of their ancestors, which meant her exile was far more merciful than the usual outcome, which was death.

Lady Esther was actually the first to defile their ancient ways except it had its differences. One, she didn't willingly leave but rather had done so to save her brother John who had wandered too close to the edge of the forest and was inevitably outnumbered.

On her rescue mission Lady Esther soon joined a small group of people who so happened to be transporting the Konohagakuran Queen to Kumogakure for a visit with other royal friends. From her information gathering, she had learned that it was actually Kumogakure who had stolen her brother to do research on him for the sake of advancing their kingdom above the surrounding countries.

Before she had left, she had promised her father that she would not deal with the matters of outside (particularly anything political) but falling in love felt inevitable with Yulie. He who also had been fighting against his feelings because he too had despised that she was no Hyuuga blood nor was she even from Konoha but rather from Kumo.

Either way, the two had eloped. Lady Esther had successfully rescued her brother and went back home, protesting Yulie to join her because she knew that he had much to do with his country and instead, she would leave hers to join him.

However, she was forbidden from leaving after her father had heard all the horrid things that had happened to John and it wasn't until later that her pregnancy was discovered. She was exiled in a remote part of the forest, often being visited by her siblings.

Despite her restraints, this did not stop her from pursing her husband when the war began. Escorted by her brothers Luke and John, they joined together to reunite her with her husband while her people refused to help the Kumogakuran's for what they had done. This was when Tenten's mother had re quested for the seal – knowing well the story of John and was frightened that the exact thing would happen to her child once they discovered her secrets as well.

Hearing all of this, Tenten from the past had gone to appreciate her mother more while the one from the future forgave her mother for the choices she had made.

And so, after all these traveling's, it was no surprise why Tenten felt so close to Lady Esther despite feeling they've only known each other for a short time.

But now her curiosity grew: why did she forget all of this if they had met before?

Why had the chakra still been sealed from her?

The scene disintegrated before her as it unravelled to the busy streets of The Citadel, near the castle of the Uchiha's. The two had decided that they ought to stay at an inn for the night – although, Tenten was far more restless than Lady Esther now that they were closer to the forest than anything. And Tenten made it her goal that night to make sure that Lady Esther knew _exactly_ how keen she was on waking up early and leaving immediately as the conversation dragged onto the dinner table.

However, what she was not expecting was a visit. While the two ladies playfully bantered over their destination (well, perhaps only Tenten), a man in a tall cloak approached them and sat beside them. Tenten, whose manners clearly did not indicate proper etiquette for a lady was baffled by his approach and even scoffed at how he hadn't even asked to be sat down.

"Hey, buddy. We're having a talk here." Tenten called him out and looked at Lady Esther with unbelief.

There was a warm laughter from him as he responded with an apology. "Let me introduce myself, perhaps you've heard about me."

He lifted his hoodie up for a moment to reveal his face and alas, there was a reason why he should seem smug. It was none other than Jiraya except that older Tenten knew that and this younger Tenten had no idea who he was.

"No, I haven't. You're quite rude – not even introducing your name and expect us to know already." The young girl bickered.

"It's alright Tenten, I shall introduce you two." Lady Esther finally interceded when she realized that they might be drawing too much attention – even thought they had asked for a booth in the corner. "This is Jiraya, an ambassador from Konohagakure."

"Sounds fancy." Tenten crossed her eyebrows, clearly unimpressed. "I still don't see the need for this meeting."

"Well, the thing is Tenten." Lady Esther responded slowly. "It's true I've made my promises to bring you to the Eastern Forests… but those are plans I intend on fulfilling later." Her words came out dry, detached from emotion as Tenten eyes widened to reveal the hurt of betrayal.

The redness of her skin washed away from her face only to reveal a sickly paleness on her otherwise tanned skin.

"W-what do you mean?" Her lips quivered, unsure of what to say and how to feel.

"I'm sorry." Lady Esther said before raising her hood over her head before she leaned against the table, reached for Tenten and flicked her finger on the young girl's forehead.

In a matter of seconds, Tenten's eyes rolled to the back of her head before she sat up once more and was conscious. There was sweat streaming from her face as her hand held onto her forehead – it felt like she woke up from a long and horrible dream.

"W-who are you? What am I doing here? Wait, my parents-" She paused, clutching onto her head that spiked with pain, memories from all over were being repressed.

"I'm so sorry Tenten… You must be really tired, we traveled a long way from home." The familiar woman had now become a stranger and all she could offer was a small sympathetic smile.

"What?" Tenten asked, still unclear of what was happening and where she was. "Where are my parents?"

The question still lingered in her mind as she tried to settle the most important things first. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like the answer but demanded a response.

"Oh Tenten…" Lady Esther said, reaching out a hand for Tenten but the young girl flinched and recoiled from her touch. This unpleasant reaction caused Esther to pull her hand away as she looked down at the table.

"Your family was traveling from House Hamasaki to The Citadel but was caught in a storm. You were one of the only few survivors and was later discovered on the outskirts of the shore. From then on, you've been passed down from household to household as a servant but now that we've found you, you can finally pick up from where you had left off." Lady Esther responded calmly, as if she had been practicing this very speech for a long time. "I will leave you into the hands of Lord Jiraya, he works closely with the Royal Family. He has the documents and the paperwork necessary to get you through. It was a pleasure having you serve under my house." Lady Esther said, standing up with a weary smile – no doubt fighting against the feelings of guilt for abandoning her.

Little Tenten stayed seated, staring at her lap, not understanding fully but surrendered to the words she heard. There were memories of the events mentioned but she knew that something was off.

However she found herself too tired to fight.

She felt hopeless – like a pawn to be handed off and traded.

"You're taking me to the Uchiha's?" She asked softly and Jiraya only nodded. Tenten raised her head once more at the door, wishing that she had left with the lady who had told her all these things but when Lord Jiraya stood, her eyes refocused on him.

"You're going to love it in the castle!" Jiraya grinned, laying a heavy hand on Tenten. "Did you ever want to be a princess?"

"No…" Tenten responded with a smile. Her shining bright eyes reflected a spark of curiosity that pierced the old man's heart and propelled him to ask:

"Then what would you like to be?" He asked as he led her through the streets. Little Tenten thought for a seemingly long time before shrugging.

"I suppose I don't know… I suppose I can be anything I want to be." She offered up a smile, so innocent and so sweet that all Jiraya could do was pat her head as he responded with a bright smile.

"I suppose you can be!"

1

The in-between was exactly how she remembered it, she served within different functions of the castle until they had found the one best suited for her and their needs. Life had gone on, a year or so.

Her blurry past had become nothing but a faint memory tainted with fiction.

Re-watching the parts she had remembered wasn't entirely revolutionary but it did make her smile and laugh at all the friends she had made – another new family that she was adopted into. However, what she hadn't remembered was the nervousness she felt when the head butler had asked for a private meeting with her.

All her friends glanced at her with curiosity, knowing that they ought not to speak what's on their minds until he had passed. Rather that they should continue cleaning another pointlessly large room that would most likely be unattended for the rest of the day.

Certainly, Tenten should have remembered something like this and her mind, knowing that this was another covered memory, caused time to slow.

Tenten from the future stood beside the Tenten of the past in the small yet adequate room of deep mahogany wood, the room known as the head butler's office. She was a nervous wreck, unsure of how to expel this uncontrollable energy that made her stomach churn and her palms sweaty.

Instead, she stood as straight as she could, kept her hands behind her back as she waiting patiently for the man to speak. Prior to this, her friends had reassured her that it was probably something relating to her recent birthday, she who had just blossomed into her teenager years – 13 or perhaps she would receive a proper acknowledgement for her hard work, perseverance and sustained positive energy.

And all that was apparent as her boss stated these things as he laid her single piece of paper down against his heavy wooden desk. He smoothened out her only piece of document before smiling at her.

"Congratulations Tenten, you're being elevated to be the personal maidservant of the Former Queen, the King's mother." Although this should be honourable news and a chance closer to freedom, she held back her frown.

All the thoughts of leaving her friends behind loomed over her. Everyone knew that the previous queen kept to herself in one of the summerhouses within the confines of the palace ground and what stretched between her house and the castle was a long and arduous garden.

She would be isolated too. "

Tenten?" The butler had called out, snapping her out of her thoughts as she glanced up at him. "Did you hear me alright?" She straightened up and responded kindly.

"Apologises sir, I was just thinking how this would all go exactly."

"Oh, well. I suppose you don't need to worry about that. It's exactly what you would do now, clean around the house but this time, you'd personally assist her in anything she'd need from dressing her, bathing her, preparing her meals, setting up any appointments she may have. I'm sure she'll be merciful during your learning phase, since after all, she _did_ ask for you specifically." He grinned, catching the young girl off guard.

The butler let out a small laugh underneath his breath, certain now that Tenten hadn't really been listening since he had mentioned the last sentence previously.

"Yes." He reassured. "I had insisted and even recommended others who have been in service for far longer but she said that your young energy is exactly what she needs around her. As quoted from her majesty: 'Her charming energy is quite attractive.'"

"I-I heard stories of her past…" Tenten stuttered, recalling tales of how petty, greedy and persistent the queen was into having her way. Especially when it had anything to do with her children.

"Ah, those stories you recall are unfortunately true but from what I've observed, old age has tamed her. She never did like her daughter-in-law until the birth of her grandchildren, it looks like they managed to soften her up too."

"I see." Tenten responded slowly, the only thing she could truly say from the bottom of her heart. Neither was there a smile on her face but rather a solemn flat expression, no doubt trying to shield how upset she was.

"Hey Tenten…" He called out, so casual and so informal that she looked up with surprise.

"Yes sir?"

"Your parents…" he started off, taking the circular lenses from his face. "I'm terribly sorry for what had happened. I had received a copy of their file and they were supposed to be transferred under my division until I deemed them ready to work for the queen directly. It seemed the king was the impressed and wanted you to serve his mother."

Her eyes widened.

"Cheer up Tenten. This is a great honour... An honour that you will carry out." He said. "You'll be assigned to her tonight. Go pack your things and by the end of supper, you shall be with the queen and escort her back home." She bowed, turned towards the door and held a nervous hand on the doorknob.

But even from where she stood, she could hear the scampers and giggles from across, knowing that her friends were eagerly eavesdropping. When she walked out, the culprits all huddled together.

"Well? What happened?" One asked while the rest of her friends had their eyes wide from anticipation.

"I'm to serve previous queen personally." She tried to say with a smile and perhaps it had been easier to smile knowing that her parents were meant to be serving the queen originally. But even then, she could also see the falter on her friends' faces before one of them smacked Tenten's back.

"Congratulations!" She said, hugging her. "That's a wonderful position."

"Yes…" Tenten whispered. "Wonderful." The word lingered in her mouth and it only left a dissatisfying taste on her tongue.

1

Her experience was not bad at all. As a matter of fact, her new co-workers were kind and gentle people – much older but very pleasant to work with. They were like uncles and aunts that cared affectionately for her and would always tell her how things ought to be done with great patience.

After all, they worked for the queen the longest and knew exactly how everything should operate. In fact, they always tossed this phrase around every time they asked her to do a little extra: "A happy queen, means a happy house."

And as the months passed by, the queen would treat Tenten much like her own blood, spoiling her with gifts and even going so far as to have her stroll through the gardens in one of her old dresses. As wonderful as that sounded, the reasons behind this treatment began to unravel as the queen began calling her another name rather than her own. From the pieces she had gathered, Sachi was a dead person, most likely the queen's late daughter who had died as a child.

The servants within the house were embarrassed with the queen's actions and felt troubled for Tenten as the little girl burdened on the dripping raw emotions of the queen that was now resurfacing after all these suppressed years.

Their palace doctor had diagnosed this to be some sort of dementia and he had suspected much before when the queen was only showing signs but he hadn't realized it to get worst over the time. It was still an unknown topic and because of this, everyone decided that it would be better for Tenten to be retransferred back into her old division.

However, the queen would fuss as her weeping turned into wailing. Her words were verminous as she accused the people around her that they were out for revenge and that they _wanted_ to take her daughter away.

She refused to eat, refused to leave her bed until Tenten came back. This tore the king's heart and he personally asked her to remain by his mother's side to shed some comfort until her inevitable death.

And that was all anyone could do as they helplessly watched the disease ravish the queen's mind. Her memory disintegrated quickly like sand trailing through the thin glass tube before spilling onto the surface – collecting and piling up memories that would no longer be remembered. It was only a matter of time before the queen would forget the basic necessities of knowing how to relieve oneself, to eat, to speak and eventually she would forget to breath.

Because of this her family had tried their best to accompany her before she'd turn into an unmovable shell that was once carried life. Often when the royal family visited, it was common knowledge for the servants to dismiss themselves, more often for young females- to avoid 'accidents'.

Particularly, for the sake of causing no complications concerning the throne especially when unexpected heirs claim to be so and so's bastard. Hence this rule was still followed despite the queen ignoring the visit of her actual family, as she demanded for her hallucinated version of Sachi.

They scurried the boys off and wished the royal couple a farewell as Tenten was escorted right back inside – so quickly that she failed to see the hurt and confusion on the crowning prince and his younger brother's faces as the only children glanced at each other.

"I'm here." Tenten said, clutching for the queen's hands to calm her down. She could tell that it had gotten worst.

Before, the queen would just patiently wait for the guests to leave but to act up and demand for her presence had just been recent. Her time for death was coming soon. It would be no surprise.

"I was- I was worried that they'd take you again." The queen explained, shaking and catching breath. "I know they don't love you like I love you. I know your father never loved you like I do." Her rambles were quick paced and scattered but Tenten waited patiently, waiting like always for them to pass. "He always gave everything to Fugaku. Once he got a son, once he got what he wanted. That's all he wanted. That's all he cared about but he doesn't know. Doesn't know. Doesn't know doesn't know know."

The queen pulled her head back and laughed. A sense of dread fell on the young Tenten, it was clear on her face that she had a desire to leave but with a gulp and a deep breathe, she pulled through. Thankful for her younger self's perseverance, the Tenten eagerly waited for what the queen would say.

"He doesn't know I took this." The old woman let go of Tenten's hand as she rummaged under her pillows and pulled out a small intricate silver box. With her shaking hands she fumbled to open it and once the clasp loosened, she pulled it open clumsily and it was a good thing that the jade sphere stayed snug inside it's cushion.

"He has another one anyways, he has lots, he always wants more. He took this from that village boy, the one rumoured to be from the forests." The thought caused a spark of light to shine in the queen's eyes. "I don't know why he was so obsessed with this one, he has more. I knew he would give it to Fugaku but no I can't let that. He already has lots and lots of presents. You need one too! This belongs to you! It was given to you! I only took it back, I didn't steal!" She cried out in desperation and she pushed the silver box in Tenten's hands so that she could raise her own hands to rub the tears that fell from her glassy eyes that trailed down her papery skin.

The little girl was in awe. She had no idea what contexts the queen was pulling. Obviously she knew the forests she was talking about but for her, she just concluded it as a fabrication of the queen's mind. Everyone knew that the people of the forests never left the forest.

However, while all that was happening in young Tenten's mind, the older one's eyes widened as she realized that it must have belonged to John. Her mind awakened into life as her thoughts tried to piece together what was happening until the young Tenten pinched the gem between her two fingers and upon her touch, it began to glow. Everyone froze.

"I knew it was meant for you!" The queen gasped, covering her mouth with her hands before rocking back and forth. "You can't let anyone know! Promise me, promise me! They might kill me like they killed you." Her sobs started, her rocking increasing. "Don't tell anyone, please, please, please…"

Her cries grew into faint whispers as Tenten quickly pocketed what she had just received when the other's entered the room due to concern. They hadn't heard the content of the conversation clearly nor would they have understood anything but they shushed Tenten out while they catered to the queen.

Which was fine, she needed time to recollect her thoughts.

She walked off, in a quick and steady pace until she was certain she was alone in her quarters. When she was, she sat down, opened the silver box to examine the jewel that's glossy surface made smooth waves across its body from the reflected light that poured from her window.

For a long time it was like that, she would tend to the queen as often as she could before examining the jewel she had hidden in between her mattresses. She still hadn't decided whether she should give it back to the king or not but a small part of her nudged that it had belonged to her.

After all, like the queen said, he had many other jewels.

What made this one more valuable than the others?

Just because it glowed at her touch, she was fairly certain he had others like it.

Although the queen was known to be unbearable at times, Tenten was thankful that the queen managed to gain some sanity before her last breath.

She no longer asked for Tenten nor would she react to her face. Instead, whenever her actual family visited, did she yearn for a hug, a kiss perhaps and words to be poured into her ears although she wouldn't understand them.

It gave people hope, hope that she would get better, that perhaps the day after she would no longer be bedridden but up on her feet once more after a seemingly long time. However, that was not the case as her breathing became hard and no longer did she have the strength to fight for her life.

She died a few days after.

It was a solemn time as the queen's attendants swept through the house once more before packing their bags. They had been given a choice to either stay inside the castle to help serve or to live the rest of their lives off the castle. Surprisingly, the majority of them stayed except for Senju who had decided to become a blacksmith with his uncle.

Now they were gathered in front of the empty home waiting for chariots to come by to help their move, whether that was in or out of the castle.

Tenten also was ready to hand in her reassignment until Kakashi spoke with her. She really had only seen him occasionally around the castle since he was really close to the royal family and because he was such an important figure she was surprised that he had addressed her.

At this point in his life, he had grown to wear a mask and a cover over his left eye. War had been cruel on his face but everyone was thankful that he was still alive and that the only thing he had lost was an eye. Rumours said that a long gash had run across his left eye that ran down to his chin thus the reason for the mask.

"Have you decided what you wanted to do?" He asked her, with a faint smile whispering behind his mask. Tenten looked down at the ground before shrugging. She _could_ go back to the castle and be reunited with her friends but the door to freedom was also a possibility.

Although she wasn't certain what she would do.

After all, being a young female hardly gave her any positions of work. "Well, if you'd be willing. The king had requested that you be transferred to Konohagakure."

Her eyes widened but she kept her head bowed as her folded hands behind her back began to fiddle with the tie around her waist.

"I know it's a new country but you would be incredibly essential for our new found peace treaty ties. You see, he had gifted you to become Princess Hinata's personal maidservant. She's around your age; I believe she's just a year younger. She's a very sweet girl and would be much easier to deal with after the queen. So will you accept this role?"

Although he had asked, Tenten knew she had no real choice.

At first she shrugged, lingering in the silence of the uncertainty before she glanced up to face his slight disappointment before she succumbed and nodded. Even for the short while, she enjoyed the small illusion of power she held in her decision.

"Thank you." He said, kneeling down on her level to raise a hand on her shoulder. By this time, the others had already gone into the chariots – at first, unsure whether to leave her alone but decided that they'd see her in the castle later anyways. "Now I know this might seem a little odd but since you're going to the other country, I just have to make some precautions."

She watched him, curious as to what exactly these precautions were and ever so gracefully; Kakashi lifted his eye patch to reveal an entirely red eye with black holes drilled in them. Chills ran through her spine as she kept her attention on it and was taken aback as the dots began to swirl. Enticed and terrified all at once, she could feel her mind shift but she was uncertain as to exactly what was being moved. When he had finished, Kakashi covered his eye once more and gave a delicate smile to Tenten.

"Who did you serve?" He asked her and she was taken aback at his sudden question, a simple yet important question.

"A noblewoman, a relative to the Uchiha." She stated blankly with certainty.

"Any particular relative?"

"Just an important relative." She assured him, her mind pulled a blank to the queen's relationship to the royal family. "A great aunt." She settled for.

"Anything in particular she asked you? Told you that alarmed you?"

Her long pause worried Kakashi for a moment before she shook her head. "She died quite peacefully. Her words never made much sense, she thought I was her dead daughter and that's all I can honestly remembered."

"Good. I mean, not so good concerning her failing memory but it was good that you were faithful to serving her." He smiled, patted her head and turned around when he realized the chariot had finally come back around to pick them up to escort them to the castle. "You don't have much to pack right?"

"Not really." She was embarrassed to say so as her hand reached down for her satchel.

"And everything you have is there?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"Good, I'll take you to Jiraya and you two will head onto the boat for Konoha at once." Although she never saw Jiraya since he introduced her to the royal family, she was glad to hear a familiar name. Her smile made that evident.

"Will I be able to say goodbye to my friends?" She asked shyly, fiddling with the hem of her dress before he smiled back at her.

"Of course but we'll have to make it quick. We wouldn't want you missing the boat."

"Okay!" She said, her feet now skipping towards the chariot that took them back to the castle.

1

She glanced at the fading image of Kumogakure with a big grin before slipping the silver box out of her pockets. She fiddled with the fine details, tracing each line that loopedm with her finger before she lifted the cover and marvelled at the jewel inside. She dared not to touch it, knowing that once it would glow, it would catch the attention of people.

"Long way from home hmm?" The voice that caught her attention forced her to fumble with the box as she quickly closed it. Jiraya settled beside her before relaxing his arms over the railway.

"Yes…" She agreed softly but in all honesty, she hadn't felt she'd found her home in a long time. As she said that, she gripped the silver box in her hand tightly before leading it back into her pockets.

"What was that?" He asked casually, never keeping his eyes off the sea.

"Uh." Was the only word that escaped her mouth. Her eyes drifted towards the floorboards beneath her as her palms began to cultivate sweat.

She was determined to keep it a secret in all honesty. It was the probably the only thing of value that she had received and all she had in her procession to remember her time under the royal family.

"Just a small thing one of the ladies gave me as a present." She added a shrug in hopes that he would stop prying.

"Oh, what's inside?"

"Just a jade."

"Oh, I had an impression those don't glow." That was when he finally turned his head to look at her and he could see her slight jump as her shoulders raised in surprise. At this point, the little girl began fiddling with the hem of her shirt. She was caught red-handed and all she could do was to keep avoiding his stare.

"Ah, the noblewoman gifted it to me."

"Was it hers?"

Tenten shrugged. "I don't know." She paused. "It was her husbands, she told me that he had a lot of it... so she gave me one."

"Did she tell you where her husband got it from?"

A long pause, before her eyes finally glanced at Jiraya.

Suddenly she was surprised to see that he wasn't mad but rather, his eyes were soft and his smile indicated that he was willing to listen and that nothing bad would happen to her. From this, a deep breath left her and she relaxed within his presence.

"I-I." There was a sigh. "She did say that it was from someone of the forest…" As each word passed, her tone faltered as her uncertainty increased. "But we know that they _never_ leave the forests anyways, it's not important." She pouted.

"Well actually…" Jiraya started off, glancing once more at the sea before looking back at the little girl who had grown over the years. "It's a complicated story but that really was an ancestry inheritance meant for someone important in the forest."

Tenten frowned; clearly she didn't like what she was hearing. She knew where this was going to lead and its conclusion was something she didn't like: she would have to give it back to its original owner. Seeing that she wouldn't be the one to continue the conversation, Jiraya took the reigns as he began to explain.

"You see, before the great war between our two countries, there was a fairly good relationship between us. Even then the people of the forests kept to themselves but as the tensions rose due to sea and land disputes; marital ties not going well for certain allies, a silent cold war was starting to ensue.

"The Kumogakuran King had heard rumours of that the Forester's practised magic – abilities beyond human understanding and capability. He had been keeping posts around the edge of the forests, hoping to interact with them. Obviously in one incident, one had been wandering too close with a group of other people. Seeing that they were being surrounded, forced the oldest in the group to attack the men while the others escaped.

"Needless to say, the king had taken him and had stolen from him what you possess right now. Without that jewel back, he's denied of his birthrights."

"How would you get it to him?" Tenten asked after some careful listening.

"I'm friends with one of the Elders who so happened to be married to someone of the forest and… I guess you can say I'm friends with his wife as well." He whispered the last part with a shrug. "I'd deliver it to them so they could get it back to its proper owner."

Tenten fiddled with her shirt before reaching in for the silver box. For a long time she continued to play with the box in her hand, before taping her nails over them. With one last gaze, she reluctantly gave the box over. "Thank you." He said, wrapping his fingers securely over the item he had just received. "Hey kiddo, I might as well educate you on my home country." He grinned, placing his other hand on her shoulder.

Tenten's face remained disappointed but she didn't deny his offer. Instead, she pursed her lips, shrugged before lazily nodding. "Sure." Her mind still lingered on the silver box that she possessed for only a few weeks before her mind naturally forgot it after the years.

123

Her eyes fluttered to an open as the comforting blackness engulfed her and the rhythms of the underwater currents tickled her ear. Tenten kicked herself off the ground as she swam up to reconnect with the surface and get back to reality.

When she broke through the water, a rush of memories and adrenaline surged through her body. She was awake, alive, breathing and now ready. All the collections of her memories now came together as it reformed her identity and who she was.

"Now that you remember all the important parts." Esther says, already making her way towards the shore. "I can work towards unsealing you."

"I thought the person who seals unseals."

"Which is very true." Esther says, dispelling the water beads absorbed by her hair or stuck on her skin before clothing herself. "That jewel you got…" Her words drifted as she sifted in her bag to look for what she had mentioned except there were now two others along with the one from Tenten's memory. "As you can already tell, these aren't just any jewel but inside them encase incredible power. There are six like it across the world, each one holding onto the six different types of chakra elements."

She spread them across her hands, all glowing at her touch while Tenten rushed on shore but fell on her knees after realizing how weak she felt. However because of how small the shore was, she was close enough to see them. Lady Esther situated the spheres in the sand before raising her other to command the water off of Tenten much like how she had done to herself earlier.

"Well, I'm sure you've heard of the ancient tales of the past. How mankind once possessed great power that was gifted to us by the gods. Power that we now call chakra." While Esther continued, Tenten quickly grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself as she edged towards Lady Esther while she enthusiastically explained.

"But mankind had tapped too dangerously towards godlike power and from those practises, entire cities could be destroyed. You see, _our_ people congregated from the belief that chakra should be sealed and after the many wars that rose, leaders eventually acknowledged the necessity of our beliefs. So each one gathered to seal the chakra of the entire world… Because of the great power necessary to seal chakra, sacrifices were needed as people poured their entire energy into the ritual.

"Out of that, 6 gems came and those who had survived from the ritual stayed in the forest, vouching to keep the gems safe. A period of rest covered over mankind as people were forced to learn how to coup without chakra. Everything was going well, mankind prospered and the population rose. Technology, architecture, art and culture sprung up once more until greed seeped into us again. This caused the kings to act on their beliefs that they needed weapons.

"The people of the forest had initially been involved with the trials of the outside because we were once known as The Guardians, as The Peacekeepers… Our people practised chakra only to preserve the gift of the gods and to use it to avoid wars. However, leaders took advantage of our kindness and 3 out of those 6 gems were stolen from us throughout generation.

"When we were down to half, our ancestors made the decision that it would be better for us _not_ to be involved any longer no matter how bad it would get. Otherwise, if the 6 gems were in the possession of someone cruel, who knows what kind of catastrophe would occur from them unsealing everything?"

"But what about RIC? They know how to use chakra…"

"Well yes… As I mentioned before, our people weren't always secluded and it was inevitable that people would study us, whether they were done with good ethics or not… these things were eventually passed from generation to generation."

"Then…" Tenten paused. "Wouldn't it better if mine remained sealed if that is what our people wanted?"

Lady Esther shook her head.

"It's your birthright Tenten. It belongs to you… I can't quite say that about your other teammates but I can surly say that you deserve it." She smiled and placed one hand over Tenten's shoulder. "Now, with these three, we can unlock half of the seals seared onto you while my mother can handle the rest. Otherwise without these gems, it would have been too taxing on my mother and I'm afraid that her life would have been the cost."

"Wait." Tenten said. "How did you- How were you certain that the queen would give it to me?"

"Ha." Lady Esther said although there was no indication on her face that she was actually laughing. "When my brother was captured by the king, he had managed to befriend the king's daughter who was awfully frail even then. So naturally the little girl was locked in the castle but her big mind quenched for adventure and so she knew every nook and cranny of that place.

"Because of this, she had found John. She was only a little girl but I think John trusted her to keep it safe, however, it seemed that her father found it and took it from her. The queen who had witnessed this most likely stole it back from her husband after their daughter died. It must have been a small memento of her daughter and perhaps she didn't really know the true significance of the gem but she kept it with her anyways.

"We heard that the queen was suffering some type of memory failure. Jiraya and I had come up with a plan to get you to work for her in some way. Since he was close to the family, he would often try to suggest that someone young should work for the queen. She took his words in consideration and apparently she chose you with Jiraya not needing to say much. It was all a matter of time before she would mistake you as her daughter and sometimes Jiraya would drop Sachi's name around you whenever the queen was nearby to enforce her delusion." Tenten frowned, she didn't like what she was hearing but perhaps it did work for the best.

"When she had given it to me, she mentioned that her husband had another one." Tenten said. "So maybe one of the missing gems are under his possession."

"Yes, we confirmed that and one is also under the Hyuuga family. The third one, we're uncertain."

"Hm."

"Well, let's get unsealing, shall we? Then I can train you in chakra while we wait for Jiraya and my sons. Together we can head back to the village to get the rest unsealed." As Lady Esther said this, Tenten's eyes locked onto the gems. Although she should be excited, she had to admit that she was incredibly scared.

"Will it hurt?" She asked softly. There was a long pause as Lady Esther looked at her with sympathy.

"It won't." Lady Esther said as she placed a hand on her disciple's shoulder. Tenten looked up to see her sincere face. "I promise."

Tenten's eyes shined with those simple words, knowing that she could trust her. "Then let's do it."

1234556

SEMI-EDITED VERSION: just spaced paragraphs half-heartedly. No _real_ fixes. Sorry for the run on sentences everywhere!

Here's one more chapter before school starts. So… I started a tumblr posting any artwork tied to my stories. : ) You can see the website link on my profile! and here it is too:

See ya guys! This one is a long chapter haha.


	8. Chapter Seven: The Last Vote

Chapter 7: The Last Vote

Tones of yellows, beige and brown were scattered delicately across the interior of the cabin thus painting an image of warmth and comfort. From the outside it had looked like it was abandoned and falling apart – practically hidden behind the walls of blue tinted and icy green moss.

However, the inside was maintained and equipped for any occasion. Weapons for hunting hung by the door, a fireplace sat across from it, with a caldron for cooking. Within that area, wooden cutlery sat on top of the stone while dried herbs hung from above. The left catered a desk with parchment, ink and a quill. Across from that was a decent bed with fur blankets and a chest near by its end.

Whenever Neji had finished hunting rabbits for his day's meal, he would try to pass some time by reading a few journals and books from the shelf by the desk. Except he wouldn't consider it leisurely reading. The language was from the ancient days and it was incredibly difficult. However, he was able to catch the more simple words. It was no doubt that the RIC's coded language stemmed from this language. If anything, it was more of a chore to read these books. It felt like he was studying and it always left him with a numb brain.

Time tauntingly walked around him slowly and enjoyed mocking Neji. Meditation was something he did often to appease time but to do it _everyday_ for _long hours_ would cause his muscles to cramp up. In any situation like this, his mind jumped to Lee.

His best friend trained his body more than anyone he knew and worked incredibly hard wherever he was. So with the thought of that bushy-browed man, Neji channelled his own 'fountain of youth' and tried to do as much exercises as he could while being confined in such a small place. Perhaps it was only now that he has come to understand Tenten's pain from being held up in that chariot.

A longing underneath him evoked the beginnings of his unfamiliar feelings and before it bubbled up, there was a tapping against the door. Immediately, he stood up and reached for the door, pulling it open in hopes to see _her._ And behind the solemn masks of the familiar faces parading in front of him, he ignored them and went straight for Tenten. Logic left his mind as he allowed emotion to consume him. "Tenten." He said, enjoying the sound of her name against his lips: the way his tongue pressed against the back of his teeth in a rhythmic flutter. The same lips that had spoken her name soon began to crave for more as he leaned for her.

 _Tap Tap Tap_

Irritation was slowly starting to sneak up on him but it only caused him to hesitate for a bit before his attention was once again captured by her.

 _TAP TAP TAP_

But the persistent beating grew louder and louder. No longer was he able to fight against the disfigured emotions that lay raw and untamed in his heart. He whipped his head around to look at the door where he presumed the knocking came from until the jolting bright light broke through the illusions evoked by his desires.

His eyelids fluttered to a hesitant open as the affects of sleep lingered and slowly fell like dust from his body. At once his head craned up so he could truly grasp with his sight what was causing the sound.

 _tap tap tap_

He could see the dark blurred beak of the raven sharpen whenever it got closer to the window. Clearly, it was determined for entry. With a deep sigh, he pulled himself up from where he slept and reached for the latch that kept the window in place. Unsurprisingly it was Sai's bird. Sai was the only one who enjoyed communicating with ravens; he believed them to be exponentially more intelligent than a young child and faithful if given the right bribes.

The bird cawed while it stretched its wings before welcoming himself inside. It flew down to Neji's lap and with curious black eyes; it watched Neji who had made sure to close the window. Before addressing the bird, he pushed himself off the bed, which caused the crow to flap upwards for only a while before descending itself patiently on the thin mattress. Continuously, its head would cock to the side whenever Neji shuffled through the desks to retrieve a pouch of delicate seeds.

Once the crow realized what it was, it flew hastily towards the desk where Neji had spread the seeds out. Only because of this offering was Neji able to retrieve the message tied to its feet – he had learned the hard way from the past. With careful concentration, Neji delicately unrolled the long thin paper to reveal its smooth and empty surface. His eyebrows knitted. It was not the emptiness that had perplexed him, rather, it was his mind that had had tried to solve the puzzle of how to get the words to appear.

He stood up at once, pacing back and forth, and often stopping for a moment to examine the contents around the cabin. Sai's patterns were simple in a way that he would never give the lock without his partner already possessing the key. Firstly, he let it dangled in the middle of his mudra before shouting out "release".

Energy pulsed from him and upon looking at the paper it remained unchanged or supposedly if one were to not feel the slight nudge of energy that dropped out of the paper. He then crouched by the fire and held the paper tightly with both hands and let the paper near the heat.

As expected, the traces of fragmented letters began to appear and soon formed the coherent sentence in their secret language: "Rendezvous at Rabbit's Eye immediately." Once his eyes grazed the last word, he threw the paper in the fire, wasting no time watching it consume and turn it into ash.

He grabbed his petticoat, his satchel and stormed out the door. As he had, the raven also swept by quickly and out, vanishing into the wide expanse of sky of Kumogakure.

From a distance, he could see the horses, eating in the pastures but his sharp whistle drew their attention. Upon that signal, they came bolting towards him and while they had, Neji grabbed the reigns to attach to his horse. When he finished, he quickly jumped on, slapping the reigns with a powerful shout as they rode off into the distance towards the direction of the citadel.

123

The breeze tickled her damp skin and caused a shiver to run down her spine. With each step, her long and glossy brown hair bounced and swished behind her, tapping against her back rhythmically. "So… are you guys my cousins?" She lifted her head to look at the two whom she had been following for a bit now. Alexander and Isaiah glanced at her before sharing a stare between them.

"I don't think so." Isaiah said. "There could be a chance but the blood that we share would be insignificant."

"Yes. Besides, mom marrying dad drastically dropped that percentage. Likewise with your mom marrying your dad." Alexander piped in. Tenten sat with those words for a moment before going to ask them:

"About that. When I had relapsed into my memories… My uncle and my mother mentioned something along the lines of Lady Esther being exiled but I specifically remember them talking about how she had left to find Elder Yulie. I'm a little confused by those words because how could she leave if she was already banished?" The looks on their faces made it clear that they had understood and that she did not have to explain what she had been thinking.

"That's true." Alexander brushed his hand against his lips as he chuckled. "Unlike most deserters who are kicked out of the land, it was not so much that way for mother. After all, she being a princess and the only daughter meant that the duties of the Chief Priestess would be passed down onto her. So instead mother was sentenced away from the community but not necessarily kicked out of the forest."

His head tilted back as his eyes wandered amongst the leaves above them. Under the umbrella and protection of the scattered green that shielded their eyes from the bright sun, the sky seemed oddly distant and faint. Altogether the details of each leaf had become illuminated by the slight brushstrokes of the sun's pale pastels touching its surface. "And it's not like she could upright abandon her only place of shelter in the middle of a war and with I just barely reaching eight and while Ez was just two."

"Wait!" Tenten stopped as she locked eyes with Isaiah. "D-does that mean you're not Elder-"

"I'm going to stop you right there." Isaiah grinned as he ran his hair through his blonde hair. "I am certainly my father's child. I am no bastard if that is what you're assuming." Alexander was laughing in the background, clearly this wasn't the first time someone had accused Isaiah to not be legitimate.

"I assure you… this bulked shorty is my full blooded brother." Alexander jumped in. "Being isolated from the village means that they were slack in watching mother. This obviously led to frequent escapades and the adoption of Qweche." Tenten's brow rose as she wondered how old the bird was.

"Anyways, mother eventually left with our uncles."

"Yes." Alexander nodded at his younger brother's piece of info. "I remember it as vividly as yesterday. There was such a commotion in front of grandfather and the elders. If it wasn't for uncle Luke… life would certainly be different. I doubt we would even be alive." A long pause ensued between them and it wasn't until Alexander's walked off did they follow.

"Lady Esther left you behind?" Tenten asked after a long time of pondering.

"Yes. It was that or mother being dragged onto the messy battlefields between two warring countries while babysitting." A ghost of a smile was traced onto Alexander's lips as his thoughts imagined the very words that he had just spoken. Although the end of his mouth curved, it was obvious by his eyes that he didn't like to reminisce about those times.

The thoughts between them soon faded away as they left the space for the silence. No one bothered to fill it as they walked through the forest. However upon a seemingly long time of meandering Tenten broke into a question.

"Where are we headed anyways?" Her voice caught the attention of the two as they glanced at her.

"Back to where we used to live." Alexander monotone deliverance had offered no invitation for the continuation of the conversation. So they walked in silence, digging through their memories and remembered a time that had once been filled with war. Fear loomed above their heads, sifted in and seized their hearts at the thought of the possibility of yet another bloodied battlefield.

1

Tenten felt a slight shift in atmosphere. The air was slightly thicker, the ground was moist and the barks of the trees were darkened against the vapours spitting from the nearby source. She could smell the fresh waters before they had actually seen the small pond and the gentle waterfall spitting from the cliff above. Lo and behold, there was a humble sized hut made of clay and its roofing was nothing but dry leaves weaved together.

In front of it she could see traces of a garden that was once active and even then she could see wild fruit growing from the patchy soil. A thin and decayed fence guarded that area and crumbled when Isaiah had misdirected his step over and tapped his toe against the top of it. "Bro." Alexander commented from a far and snickered at his destruction.

"Shut it." Isaiah responded back, his voice louder thus echoing against the grand wall of stone that shielded the hut's backside. While the younger brother had gone off to pick the fruit, Tenten followed Alexander into the hut. It made her giggle at the sight of Alexander having to slightly hunch over. He was the tallest in his family.

Although he looked to be an alien in the space that was no longer meant to house him, his eyes lingered upon the dusty furniture with fond familiarity. She felt that she would not intrude his reminiscing and wandered off to explore the other two rooms at the end.

Unsurprisingly there were bedrooms. One had a double bed while the other contained two single beds. She walked into what she assumed was Lady Esther's room and snuck a peak at the yellowed and crinkled paper on the abandoned desk. From what she could see, they were drafts of letters littered with love, loneliness, anxiety, fear and joy. Her eyes glazed over the words of the letter that was directly in the center. It goes as follows:

 _The thought of loosing you keeps me up at night, draining me of my needed energy for the day. Yet the sight of our boys growing stronger restores my broken spirit from the night. Although I am weak, I have come to find hope in the sun that surly rises every day but I have also come to fear that it will rise and you will not be alive to see it._

The words left Tenten speechless and although she knew that she should not intrude any further, her eyes wandered further as if the letter was meant for her.

 _It is under the sun where we both find our dwelling. It gives me comfort that we share this experience. Even though we are not directly beside each other, I feel oddly connected to you. At the same time it reminds me when you_ are _here. Now that the tension of war has grown stronger, I fear that I will no longer feel your warm breath against my neck when you cradle me in your arms or your long fingers weaving their way into my hair. I fear that I will no longer hear your sweet words that stir my heart into laughter, or tears, or longing. I fear that I will no longer see your stern expression that softens upon seeing our sons or I. I fear that I will no longer smell the faint cologne from your neck at your desperate attempt to shield the sweat that have accumulated from your journey to see me nor the weathered smell of paper traced upon your cloak from your constant reading. I fear that I will no longer taste the slight bitterness of alcohol or sweet fruit faint upon your lips when I kiss you._

 _I cannot bear a world without you. I know that we have promised to truly unite when both our countries are at peace but this is a promise I must break. I'm coming to find you. I will fight alongside your people for they shall become my own. Our sons shall be safe, tucked away within Havilah and I thank the gods for my brothers who have decided to fight for me. They will accompany me and together we will hope to end this war so that we may begin the journey that was intended for the both of us and our family. I have a feeling this letter might not get to your hands, we are acting now as I write-_

"Reading mother's letter?" The sudden voice of Alexander shocked Tenten out of her trance as she jolted forth and bumped into the desk. With great hesitation she slowly turned around to face the one who had caught her in the act.

"Y-yes." She admitted as her eyes averted his and found themselves pointed towards the dusty post of the bedframe.

"Don't worry, I read them all." His shrug suggested it to be true as he walked away into the other room. Tenten followed.

"Did your dad get to read them?" There was a pause far longer than she had expected and the quick glance that he had given her caused her to tense in anticipation.

"He did." Alexander finally responded. "We all came back you know…when the war finished. Mother gathered all the things she had wanted to bring back to Konoha." It eventually dawned on her why the hut kept no memorials. "And father stumbled upon her unsent letters. He kept them all." Tenten's eyebrows knitted in confusion as she reflexively glanced back at the letters still found on the table. "Father keeps all our letters tucked away in his library and mother also wanted to share some of the letters she had kept. It was around that time she had stumbled upon her own and read them. They actually got into a fight over the letters that you had seen on the table."

His long sigh escaped his lips as he finished his observation of the room that he had grown up in. Traces of memories lingered within the depth of his eyes as he could see a world unknown to Tenten. "I was quite frightened. I had never seen father and mother so upset with one another." Gracefully, he raised his hand and summoned a small whirlwind in front of him.

Tenten's eyes lit up in amazement as she recognized him to be calling upon the wind. Without so much of a twitch, Alexander guided the concentrated wind within his hand and allowed it to spill from his hand and wash the dust out through the window. An awed gasp was drawn from her at the sight of his elegant deliverance. "I don't think anyone could truly grasp the depth of my mothers emotions that had been poured onto the letters she so painfully withdraws from. I think father has come to accept it as well… despite how much he'd like to understand."

"They really love each other don't they?" Her thoughts could not help but escape from her lips. Eventually Alexander offered her a broken smile.

"They do." He whispered. "They truly do." He soon led her back to the main space where it had been spotless of dust. It was there where Isaiah had managed to resurrect the fire within the clay furnace. He was already boiling water and preparing the vegetables that he had collected.

"So I'm guessing your father traveled back to put the letters away?" She asked, now glancing at Isaiah who looked up with curiosity.

"Yup." Alexander said as he walked towards the wooden table already set with freshly cleaned plates. Once the sweet aromas of boiled yams touched Tenten's nose, her stomach shamelessly let out a loud groan as her tongue cultivated thick layers of saliva. She blushed as she clutched onto her stomach.

"I guess I hadn't realized how hungry I would be."

"That's to be expected." Alexander informed as he sat down. "You've grown thin since the last time I've seen you. Most people don't realize this but walking through memory lane in Yoku Omoideno actually takes up days despite it feeling like it had only been a few hours. In essence, you've been under a fast for quite a while. I'll have to monitor your eating portions for the time being." She clutched onto her body as her eyes widened.

"But I _have_ been eating." Tenten insisted as she faintly recalled her snack sessions with Lady Esther.

"I'm sure it hadn't been much." Alexander noted. "A few nuts packed with protein, teas and occasionally fruit. Mother knows well when ending a fast." Tenten didn't respond as she had come to recognize that his words were true.

"Perhaps… I hadn't noticed then…" She mumbled.

"Once you've accumulated a burst of chakra, your body tends not to notice its other needs. Yoku Omoideno is quite a place. Time seems so abstract in there but don't worry. That will give us a lot of time to train you in your new found powers." Hearing those words caused her eyes to light up. Perhaps she hadn't exactly realized how far she had missed training until the mention.

1

Tenten felt at peace. It was an odd feeling to have, she knew. After all there was so much conflict within and between each empire. Faces of loved ones flashed within her mind and the thought of them provoked a stirring within her heart. Yet here, in this moment, she was cozied beneath a fur blanket as she lazed on the wooden bench just outside of the house.

Insects that glowed brightly gathered around the water source and swept around the area with no fear of the human presence. Crickets and night birds joined in song as the soft paddling of rushing water and wind played as base. Now that she was sheltered, she felt more like an outsider as she observed the nature that danced around her rather than being one with it. The transition left an awkward stain on her but it was an awkwardness she was gladly accepted. She liked being under a roof, sleeping in a bed, having real food for once and having the company of others rather than just one.

She could not help but giggle as she heard the playful bickers between both siblings. They'd often slip back into their native tongue but even Tenten learned to appreciate the lightness of the atmosphere that they brought. Alexander was busy cleaning the dishes as a gratitude for Isaiah 's cooking which Tenten was prohibited from 60% of partaking. Nonetheless she was thankful.

It wasn't long until Isaiah stepped out from the hut and approached the wall by her chair to lean against. "How far did mother get into training you?" His cool voice broke through the ambience of the night.

Tenten glanced at him before responding. "Lots of breathing exercises, chakra redirection and more meditation… All the basics."

"Have you done the element test?"

"Element test?" She repeated but it was clear by her tone that she was unsure what it was. "I know that each chakra stems from a certain element but I don't think she's placed me under any specific test."

"Ah. Well, I guess we could do that before you leave. In the mean time, you should get your rest. We rise at dawn." He told her before removing himself from the wall to leave her there. Tenten could not help but let out an exasperated sigh. In truth, she felt that sleep was the least of what she wanted or needed to do but she fought back against her stubbornness and headed towards the bedroom where Lady Esther once spent most of her days. At first she laid there unmoved and wildly awake until the nights song lulled her into deep sleep.

Her dreams were filled with warm comforts of being cradled within the strong arms of Neji. He easily overpowered her as his broad shoulders swallowed her smaller frame whole. His tender whispers tickled her ears as her nose breathed in the faint scent of herbs. His breath was warm against her neck as he leaned in to leave his mark firmly within her flesh. Without shame she was able to sing out his name as he pressed on to make love to her. A part of her brain kicked in to remind her of how crazy this all was yet she allowed her sanity to be washed away under the bliss of what she felt. "I love you." She heard him say first and although she would be shocked, she had clung to those words and repeated them back. "I love _you_." When they had finished their act of passion, they both lay there comfortably within one another before the door opened. Two little boys rushed into their room to invade their bed as they shouted out "father" and "mother".

However, this sequence was disrupted with a sudden jolt. Her eyes fluttered to an open as she rose from her sleep. Yet the fabricated reality within her mind seared itself into her, leaving her with lingering feelings of joy and intensity. Her eyes soon found Isaiah 's as he grinned. "You had a good dream or something?" He asked her as he pointed at the corner of her mouth where a line of drool had puddled onto her pillow.

"I guess." She whispered, lazily reaching out to wipe the saliva stuck on her cheek. "I had a dream about your family." Her words captivated his attention as he halted by the door.

"What about?" He turned to look at her. She paused as a flash of her dream invaded her mind and before her cheeks would turn red, she wiped the memory away and decided to skip out on the details.

"Your mom and dad. I get the feeling he stayed here a lot." Her eyes wandered towards the ceiling as she envisioned a younger version of Elder Yulie fixing his family dinner. However, that face quickly changed into the splitting image of Neji. Inevitably, her cheeks turned red and in an effort to gather no witnesses, she turned over to her side and buried her face between her pillow and blanket.

"According to mom he was there throughout her entire pregnancy with Lex until he was 3. After that, he was always in and out of Konoha and Kumo. Once the war of Tale's End began, he stopped coming all together and could only communicate via letter." He shrugged. "I was way too young to remember anything so to me dad never really left… but Lex keeps persisting that my subconscious knows and that's why I'm such a mama's boy… apparently."

"You are!" They could both hear the loud comment of Alexander from the kitchen.

"Hey, you're both a ma and pa's boy!" Isaiah walked out of the room to shout his words out but before he left all together, he told Tenten, "Don't fall back asleep or I'll have to give you extra exercises today."

"Yes sensei…" She grumbled as she kicked her feet out of her bed. When she had finished her morning routine, she stepped out to be greeted by the two boys and a warm breakfast.

Isaiah wasn't lying when he had told her about dawn. There was this hazy blue wash that ran across the entire scenery and the chill of the morning caused her to shudder. "So doctor." She said as she sat down across from Isaiah. "What am I allowed to eat this morning?" She could hear the man chuckle as he left the kitchen area to lay down a clay cup of tea.

"That and this." He said as he dragged a plate of fruit towards her. "Chew and then swallow. Eat slow." He could not help but pat her head as she pouted. "Don't worry, you'll be allowed meat by lunch."

"I hope so." She whispered as she grudgingly took the piece of grape and popped it in her mouth. Yet she listened carefully to the instructions given to her. She ate slow and made sure to be attentive to her stomach in case it had wanted to reject whatever she had put inside of her. By the time they had finished, the soft orange of the sun was now starting to chase away the faint blues that the night had left behind. When they had stepped out to stretch, she could not help but become fixated on the purples in between the two colours now fighting for dominance. However, as gracefully as ever, the blue surrendered as always, only to come back later when the sun was tired.

"Firstly, the test isn't done here." Isaiah informed her. When her eyes met his, he led their gaze towards the top of the cliff. "The real test starts when you're able to walk on walls and stand on the base."

"Walk on walls?!" Her words came out in a flurry as her body snapped into life. Immediately her mind burst into speed in an attempt to piece together the meaning of his words.

"Yeah." He snickered. "Come on Ten, you've seen things far more outrageous than wall-walking."

"W-well…" She paused and pondered on his words. Memories that continue to leave her in awe poured into her and instantly she is left speechless. All she could do was close her mouth shut.

"Okay rookie." The way he addressed her drew out a chuckle from her end. "Our goal from here till lunch is to get you to walk on water and if not, at least stand on water."

"Let's do this!" She shouted into the air, causing a few birds to scatter into the sky. The chilling breeze of the early morning had vanished all together by noon as the sun relentlessly poured its dripping hot rays onto the surface below. Tenten didn't mind at all considering that her clothes were still damp from when she had sunk earlier.

"Remember to keep the amount of chakra you're pouring out consistent. Feel the density underneath your feet." His words were nauseating to Tenten's ear as he repeated them constantly. The worst part was that although she understood his language, she could not grasp nor _do_ what was told of her.

She bit her lip to hold her tongue from lashing out as she kept her eyes locked onto her feet that wavered within the thin boundary of sky and water. Eventually, when she regained her control and stood on the surface of the water, she licked her lips to prepare for her next phase.

As she stood tall on one shaking leg, she raised her right foot to prepare the step but even now she could feel her other sinking. Frustration and anger wrinkled her face as she anticipated the failure of her next step. She stood there, half underwater before belting out a curse in the air.

"It's like you're not even listening to my words. Are you even trying?" Isaiah had crossed his arms over his chest. It was clear by his tone and expression that he was displeased. Upon his words, Tenten's head snapped towards his and she could not help but bite back her anger. Seeing this, Isaiah glared her down. "Are you sure you're part of our bloodline?"

"Fuck you!" She shouted. "It's not like you're even helping. All you're doing is standing as far from me as possible and lecturing me. That's not teaching!" Her wild yell choked back words from Isaiah. At a glance it looked as if Tenten had won their fight and it felt that way by the prolonged silence. But as soon as the ground began to tremor, Tenten instantly retreated and looked around worriedly.

"Okay, that's enough." A stern voice broke through the air and as soon as those orders were barked, the earth stopped moving. "It's almost lunch, let's take a break." The eyes of the training duo looked over Alexander but the eldest of them did not waste time to entertain their obvious unwillingness to listen. "If I don't see you inside soon, I will give you something to fear." And with a swift turn on his heel, he entered the house.

A loud splash accompanied the violent rippling of the disturbed waters. Tenten turned to the source of the sound. She could see the bubbling foam and circular waves bouncing rhythmically where Isaiah once stood. Her body tensed upon his disappearance as her mind automatically knew where he was hiding.

Under.

She shuttered at the thought.

"Leave him!" She heard from the house. "He needs to cool down." Eventually she turned and could see that Alexander had been patiently watching from the window. She lingered for a moment before she walked off and did what was told of her.

"I can't control water like mother so here's a towel." He greeted with a hand full of linen. "There should be a few clothes inside the closet if you hadn't already known. Ma always left extras in case there was a need to lodge here. Hopefully they hadn't molded yet."

"Thank you." Her words were soft and gentle as she walked into her designated room to change. Once she had exited, she could see the wisps of fog spitting out of the bowl of soup in front of her empty chair. Across from it Alexander waited. As she got closer to her seat she could see that plate of seasoned portions just beside the bowl.

"Meat?" She whimpered, looking up at Alexander to confirm if what she guessed was actually true.

"Yes. Just eat slowly. Don't kill yourself." He chuckled before motioning for her to take her seat. When she did, they went on to eat. The conversation was mostly silent until Alexander spoke. "About outside-"

"I don't need you reminding me how much of a failure I am."

"That wasn't what I was going to say." Tenten's froze upon hearing his words. She could not help but look into his soft eyes that often reminded her of his father. "I was going to ask you, what are you so scared of?"

"Scared of?" She repeated in a mutter. As her brain nibbled on that question, her mouth began to feast. _Scared of…_ The words rung in her head repeatedly and at first, it sounded absurd. That was, until a set of demeaning eyes flashed into her mind and captured her attention.

They were boundless, brown and average. She could not pin a name on its owner and the longer she tried to piece together to whom they belonged to, a collection of pairs joined the first. Some were pearl, some blue, others brown and black and some that reminded her of her parents. Her stomach churned uncomfortably and she found herself fleeing from what had entered in her mind.

She shook the thought out of her head and figured she'd tell him once she finished enjoying the meal. For a moment she was frightened that the silence would propel Alex to pry but when she glanced up to his eyes that were fixated on his food, she knew that he wouldn't. Oddly, she felt safe around him.

"Did you ever see the play of Orelia?" His sudden and random question caused her dull eyes to glaze with shine as she glanced at him. "It's this really ridiculous love story about this woman who was prohibited from loving the general of the enemy country so she turned into the sun so she could watch over him." His chuckle caught her breath as he finally looked up to stare at her. "My wife was so keen on watching it. I figured we'd go since it was at least something we could do together before I left to come here."

"You have a wife?" Tenten genuinely expressed in shock and somewhat doubt. She couldn't recall any information on his marriage.

"He doesn't." A grim voice came from the entrance of the house, as a dripping Isaiah now stood topless.

"Excuse me?" Alexander turned around and grabbed a nearby towel that had been resting on the couch to chuck at him. Isaiah, however, swiftly caught the rag that had been meant to bruise him with ease. "Kimiko is a real person."

"Kimiko _is_ a real person but she isn't your wife." He pointed before wiping himself dry.

"We're practically married."

"You keep saying that but you still haven't had the ceremony yet."

"We have the plans."

"It wasn't officiated yet."

A pause.

"You know it bro." Isaiah's face contorted to one that would nudge Alexander into some sort of irritation but forced him to acknowledge the truth.

"She knows we're going to get married."

"Does she?"

"Yes…"

"Because her father was pretty adamant about setting up some other dates. I hear that she's had to take some to appease her father."

"What?! She didn't tell me."

"Well my supposed-sister-in-law is quite the person not to bother you since she knows how much of a big shot you are… _Doctor_." The way that he had addressed Alexander was one that bordered between distaste and a tease. Tenten couldn't tell.

"She told you?!"

"Nope. She told Lisa and Lisa told me."

"Why didn't she tell me?" Alexander reclined back into his seat and for once Tenten grimaced at the distraught that was oozing out of him.

"You know dear brother. For a doctor, you're not _that_ smart." Isaiah stated, grabbing the bowl in the center of the table to fill his plate with meat.

Tenten's eyes darted between both of the brothers before blurting out, "Whose Kimiko?" Isaiah eyes wandered over at hers with slight disbelief. "Okay from what I've gathered she's Alex's missus but what household does she come from?"

"She's the eldest in the Hirota family." Isaiah answered. He quickly glanced at Alexander to see that his older brother still hadn't touched his food since he stated the fact of the matter.

"Hirota…" She repeated, trying to piece together that familiar name. It had rung a bell. She was certain that they had been invited to the palace balls. That means that they were some big shot family but not enough to instantly draw in a sigil.

"They're a group of fairly wealthy merchants partly because of the expanse of their business. They sell crafts from ores… so swords, armour, jewellery and the like. It's a complicated string of family inheritance that I can't be bothered to know." Isaiah said before looking at his brother once more. "But Alex would know since it _is_ the family he plans on marrying into."

The attention was turned towards the eldest but even they could see he was winded. "Kimiko." Alexander groaned in a groggy and somewhat shaky voice. "I must marry her the moment I step foot into Konoha…"

"Anyways," Isaiah ignored Alexander's meandering. "Kimiko's kind of a big deal because she's the eldest of this semi-big dynasty. She's actually a little older than Alex and her younger sister got married already so it's stressing the father out."

"Is there some kind of forbidden romance going on?" Tenten asked.

"Not that I know of. Our families have been pretty friendly actually. Their side likes ours and our side likes theirs. We have a good standing in finance considering the status of our father so we know the mother would be more than enthused to tie us together. I think that's partly why Kimiko has been able to get away from all the other marriage proposals."

"Oh my gosh, she's over 30. Tenten couldn't help but be appalled. Admittingly, Tenten had never heard of a woman not becoming married by 30 but she was more so worried over the judgement Kimiko must have received.

"Yup. A spinster." Isaiah stated. Alexander visibly cringed. "It would be all over the tabloids… the latest gossips." A whimper came from Alexander. "I guess that's why mother always brings up the wedding plans during dinner when Alex not off at some hospital…" A thin layer of water had now smudged away Alexander's view of the food in front of him. "But I can't seem to recall since you're always muddled in your books and papers. Perhaps it would be best for Kimiko to be with a husband who can actually _present_."

"Excuse me." Alexander quickly said before slipping out of the table.

"We were pretty rude." Tenten spoke loudly after Alexander had left.

"No, I was the rude one." Isaiah interjected. "But he needs to step up and do something about it."

A moment of silence had passed between the two as Isaiah went on to eat.

"You're so bothered by it…" The comment that had lingered inside Tenten escaped her mouth and she quickly covered it once she heard the words that slipped out of her.

"Well he's my brother. Although we bicker, I genuinely care about him and Kimiko makes him happy… it's makes me mad that he's always prioritizing medicine and patients…"

"I think being a doctor _does_ make him happy…"

"Not as much as being with Kimiko… listen, I may appear to be the 'cold' one in my family but I do believe in true love." He thought for a moment. "Or maybe I'm selfish and I just want him to settle down so the burden of the estate doesn't fall on me." He snickered at the thought.

For once, Tenten was relieved to hear something aside from training coming out of his mouth. Initially when Alexander left, she was nervous that it would sprawl into another tension-filled lunch break.

The spontaneity of conversation never occurred after that and Tenten paid no mind to starting one. Rather, she was glad that Alexander had come back. She had just finished lunch and was worried she would be kicked back into training. "You alright big brother?" Isaiah asked.

"I'm okay." His voice was hoarse but he persisted with the smile. "I just borrowed Qweche for a bit and hoped that he could send my letter to Kimiko."

"That's good. What about?"

"I was telling Kimiko to start putting our plans into action because right when I land, I hope to marry her at once." He sighed but unlike the contemplative suggestion it should have brought out, it was filled with contentment. This time, the smile stretched across Alexander's face no longer seemed tight and forced.

"Anyways, for the time being. I'm hoping to steal Tenten for a moment." Alexander piped in as he motioned towards her empty plate. She fumbled upon his call before skipping towards him and following him out the door. Although Tenten wasn't the type of person to acknowledge the awkwardness that lingered in the air, she did this once.

There were no words exchanged in between them until they were a good distance away from the hut. "You're like my little sister… You're around their age aren't you?" His question snapped her out of her thoughts as she responded with a nod.

"Have you thought about what I had asked you?"

"What I had been afraid of?" It had come out as a scoff and although she hadn't meant it to be offensive, she didn't regret the way it had come out.

"Yes… it's alright to express what you've seen."

There was a slight hesitation on her part and when she glanced at him, he had looked back with a soft affection that had eased her into comfort. "I guess I feel silly saying this."

"By all means, do tell me. I'm certain I've heard sillier things fall from the mouths of my siblings."

"It's just… I saw a pair of eyes… and it made me feel really afraid." The crunching of the leaves under their leaves and the soft ambience of the forest propelled Tenten to continue her vulnerability.

"Whom did they belong to?" His voice was low, smooth and enticing that she answered right when he had closed his lips.

"I-I'm uncertain." She bit her lip in slight frustration and raised her hands as if trying to mould the memory in front of her. "A-and then the pair of eyes were joined by others… The others _were_ familiar." She shuttered at the recollection.

"How did it make you feel?"

"Scared…" She felt foolish saying it and thus causing her to burst into laugher to avoid how uncomfortable she felt. The silence and listening ear that Alexander offered encouraged Tenten to explore her feelings beyond the initial fear. At first, when she recalled the memory, her heart quickened in anxiety but upon sifting through the first few seconds, other emotions emerged. "I… I felt like they were judging me…. I felt so helpless… so stuck." She paused to catch her breath before hesitantly confessing, "the last pair of eyes belonged to my parents."

"Hmm." Was the only thing that Alexander said and oddly enough, the burden that had been weight upon Tenten's shoulders felt lighter. So much so that she walked unguarded through the forest unknown to her. "What happened to your parents?" he pursed his lips as he realized the gravity of his question and he quickly slipped in, "If you don't mind me asking."

"It's okay. They're dead." The words were heavy but they weren't foreign.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He said with a quiet sigh. "How did they pass?"

"Ship wreck." She told him. Her eyes dulled as her mind wandered into the memory. His grunt acknowledged his listening ear and his silence only propelled her to continue her ramble. "It's kind of crazy… maybe if I hadn't been sealed from my chakra, I'd be able to walk on water and save them then… or… I don't know." A sheepish smile emerged from her previously frowning face.

"I don't think you could have saved them Tenten…" There was a slight cry of desperation as his voice wavered in deep affection. "No matter what and sometimes, as much as we try, there are just something's we can't fix. We're not gods." His words caught her attention.

She studied his eyes; she could tell that he understood some of what she had been feeling. "And just by listening to your words, I'm sensing that you're taking a lot of burden on yourself. Partly because of the traumas of your past but as well as the pressures you are facing now."

"Well what else can I do?" She responded with a type of helplessness that caused her own voice to fluctuate into a hiccup. The rushing build-up against her throat and eyes drew an ugliness she dared show no one.

"Tenten." Alexander stopped and rested two hands on her shoulders. "It's okay to be imperfect. There are so many things that are way out of your grasp and that's okay – burdens that we aren't meant to bare. Like…" He paused before blurting out, "If another war hits us, that is _not_ your fault! The past decade and more have been piling up these issues for generations and if we – as a collective – can't handle it and get smothered in the process, then that was _our_ mistake. Not _yours."_

With great hesitancy she looked up and found that the thick layer of film building on top of her eyes blurred her vision. It was no surprise to see that they had bubbled up and were steadily running down her cheeks. "But- but what if-"

Her words died as a flurry of hiccups invaded her thoughts thus silencing her from the thoughts that ambushed her mind. All she could picture was her family and all her loved ones drowning in a sea storm she was incapable of stopping yet in the midst of it, she stood in the calm. Their dead bodies swam around, calling out for her and questioning why she failed to save them and all she could do was crouch – hoping to fall in the water and die too.

"Enough little one!" He shook her. "You're not alone. Whether that's walking across the pond, the sea, or the ocean. You're not alone! You never were and I get it. You're scared that by messing up, people will judge you or worst! Abandon you or desert you!" He paused. "But fuck em." Her sniffles stopped as she saw the grin on his face.

"People like that aren't worth your time or investment. You'll see them once and then you move on!" He could not help but chuckle. "I may not know what it's like to feel the pressure of an entire country but I do know the pressure of bearing the weight of someone's life. I've seen doctor's come and go. The ones that have left are often miserable people. My doctoral team was what help solve the logistics around surgery. It wasn't one man! Likewise, that fancy RIC team of yours wouldn't get anywhere if it wasn't the support of all the people _outside_ of your team." He paused to grin some more.

"One last thing. Don't ever mistake someone's uncontrolled absence as their choice. Your parents didn't choose to leave you but they did. I know my mother left you in the past but it was beyond her control! Believe me, if she had it any other way, she would have taken that other way. She cried for weeks when she got back." The wailing that Tenten had been stuffing inside had finally burst with a loud cry of grievance. "Oh Tenten…" Alexander whispered, pulling her into a hug. "There, there." He cooed as he caressed her back.

Somehow the walls of the trees had soothed her to release the full weight of her groans. Without so much hesitation, she laid down her anxieties until she had been drained of her energy only to be left in a pathetic and limp curl in Alexander's arms. Her soft pattering hiccups were the only signal left to let him know that she was still awake. He waited a few more moments before he pulled her back to stare at her swollen eyes.

"Hey, let's head back to the pond, I have an idea." Alexander grabbed her by her wrist. Together they trailed through the forest in a light jog until they've finally broken through. They could see that Isaiah had been lazed on the bench in front of the house and was thoroughly surprised to see them burst through the forest. "Little brother, let's make haste towards the pond." He instructed in a loud voice and released Tenten from his grasp.

She stayed by the edge as she watched Alexander confidently cross with Isaiah hesitantly behind. When they reached the other side, Alexander turned promptly on his heel and shouted, "Come over here Tenten!"

The younger girl looked down at the thick body of water before glancing back at the two boys across. "Is this your idea?" She shouted back in great hesitancy. "You know nothing really happened aside from our talk."

"Exactly! Relinquish control and just imagine that we're the eyes that had been watching you except we aren't judging you, we're waiting for you! Now hurry up!" The lightness of his tone caused Tenten to lick her lips in anxious excitement as she stepped back and looked. Except this time, she envisioned that others stood by Alexander and Isaiah.

Friends such as Janine, her co-workers both from the past and present, Lee, Kiba, Naruto, Hinata, Sakura and Neji were waiting for her. Family too… those whom she had grown to call family, those whom she hadn't known for long and yes, her parents as well joined in a warm smile as they beckoned for her to come over.

The instinct to get to them – to those who she love her and those who had loved her, propelled her forth to run and glide across the water in a successful conquest.

"You're doing it Tenten!" Alexander shouted in excitement as he raised a fist in the air.

"I'm doing it!" She laughed loudly. "I'm actually doing it!" She repeated louder as her feet caused the water to ripple and splatter.

"Come on! Just a few meters to go!" His continuous encouragement energized her. Even Isaiah found himself jumping up and down in excitement. Their shared enthusiasm invited her to jump into their arms in a mighty hug.

"I did it." She sniffled. "I really did it." And the only thing the two boys could do was join her joy.

123

It took a solid week until Neji finally arrived back to the castle and although he felt impatient to reach the castle, he had to be mindful as to not stir inappropriate gossip by his hasty arrival. With his heavy cloak swishing behind him and his hood covering his face, the busy streets paid no mind to him.

As his horse trotted through the paved road in a confident and elegant gait, Neji also had to withhold the quick heartbeats that tethered his heart. His entire body felt sore from the unforgiving ground he laid his on during the cold nights while his legs numbed from the long and constant ride.

When the gates of the castle neared, his grip on the reigns of his horse tightened as he prepared for a quicker pace once the gates closed behind him. His lack of care for eloquence drew him to run past the stables and straight for the entrance. Hastily, he jumped off his horse and handed the reigns to a servant on standby before jogging up the stairs to the gigantic double doors.

He waited until he was inside before he removed his cloak and threw it into the hands of a maid who had been waiting. "Where's the king?" He asked.

"In his office." Once the words touched his ears, he ran shamelessly through the hallways despite the curious eyes that have found him. Upon his arrival at the gold and detailed doors, he paused to compose his laboured breathing before knocking. Just as he was prepared to let out another set of knocks, the door opened to reveal Sai.

"Neji, a day earlier than expected which was something I had anticipated." Sai commented as he stepped aside to let Neji inside.

"Tell me, what is it that you had learned?" Neji asked abruptly, making no waste on polite conversation. Even King Kakashi who had been seated in his desk had not been greeted with a bow or glance. Sai was thoroughly surprised yet pleased by his rare showmanship of abruptness.

"As I have reported to King Kakashi already… Princess Hisana is alive." Neij's mouth propped open as he could only respond dumbly with a single world.

"What?" His eyes widened as the weight of the news crashed into him. Soon, he found himself stuttering in an attempt to piece and dissect what he had just learned. "Princess Hisana? As in Itachi's wife? She's alive?"

"Well yes… Although Hisana is a popular name, the title of Princess would obviously link her to the Uchiha family." Even in moments such as these did Sai feel the need to insert a joke.

"What happened?"

"It's hard to say for certain but she isn't the only one alive. There are a collection of Uchiha women also in captivity."

"What?!"

"Those who have taken captive of them are most likely racing for a place on the throne."

"That is certain." Kakashi finally spoke. "Any boy with legitimate Uchiha blood in them has more authority than I at this moment…If it is their wish, I could be overthrown right away."

"How are we certain that Princess Hisana hadn't been soiled already?" Neji asked and fell back into a seat.

"From what I had gathered, she had been in hiding for quite some time and it is only recently that she had been found by the wrong hands... Remember when Tenten had mentioned how the young inheritors of each family had been acting quite strange and oddly close? I've discovered that they've created an underground gentleman's club. I'm uncertain whether Hisana is already at the location of these meetings or if she's still in trasport." Sai informed, crossing his arms over his chest with a clear display of detest.

"While we were waiting for your return, we had already been building up Sai's portfolio so he can have access to these auctions." Kakashi said.

"Correct." Sai nodded. "These meetings have been happening once a month…"

"Once a month?" Neji repeated softly. "If we know who the perpetrators are, why hadn't we planned an attack instead?"

"It's too risky besides we aren't entirely certain if the murderers of the Uchiha clan and auctioneers are one and the same." Kakashi said. "If that is the case, they had whipped out an entire clan and it wasn't just any clan, it was the Uchiha clan."

"So I'm assuming all those servants who had been accompanying their masters on those prolonged hunting trips were actually helping with the events?" Neji could feel the slight distaste fall on the back of his throat. "What's the plan then?"

"Sai will infiltrate their base and initiate the Princess Rescue plan. In the mean time, he'll be gathering evidence over those who have been attending so proper measurement can take place." Kakashi informed.

"I had been able to scope out the exterior from afar. It was once a castle used as a lookout point along the ancient border of Kumogakure and Tanigakure before Kumo captured it of course."

"Hm." Neji mumbled. "So this month's meeting is going to be… special." Again, he didn't like the idea that was tied along his words – that Princess Hisana featured in this bid was the highlight of that night.

"Indeed." Sai nodded.

"What am I to do?"

"First and foremost, we must inform King Hiashi." Kakashi said. "You must tell the King and prepare a place for her to stay. Once we have rescued her, we will send her to your country for hiding."

Neji grunted in acknowledgement. He had no means to argue. Although he didn't like the idea of leaving Tenten behind, he knew his duties and nodded in agreement to the plan.

"When shall I depart?"

"Now. We have a boat waiting for you by the ports."

"When shall I expect news of the princess's arrival?"

"You don't." Sai declared. "I will eventually appear to you with her in hand."

"Alright, let us not waste any more time." Neji stood.

123

"Oh my gosh, that chakra test was ridiculous." Tenten laughed once more as she held her bowl of food. It had been 2 days since she had first been able to run across the pond, a day since she was able to walk on wall and this entire day since she had done that chakra test. "It was basically a confirmation over what I had already known."

"Shush up." Isaiah blushed in embarrassment.

"Isaiah is quite the traditionalist, I must say so." Alexander prodded as he raised his chopsticks to point at his little brother.

"It's the way of our people!" Isaiah persisted.

"But we already knew that Tenten had a thing for metal. Besides that test is done for anyone below 5."

"Well now she can officially say she had done the chakra element test." Isaiah's frown grew.

"That dance you did in the beginning was worth it though." Tenten said with a calm tone before bursting out into more laughter.

"Hey!"

"No, don't worry!" Tenten waved her hand. "I'm not making fun of your dance moves. You looked really cool!"

"You hear that brother? You were cool?" Alexander jested. "Man, I haven't heard that since Lisa turned 6."

"Hey… at least I can dance. You never could dance, you look like a fish out of water." He glared at Alexander who exaggerated an expression of hurt.

"Why, my dear brother. I assure you. I _do_ know how to dance. Not alone, I will admit but with a partner sure. Unlike you, I'm quite co-ordinated that way but that is only because someone is actually willing to dance with me… your stoic face scares off all the girls that so happen to fancy you." Both Tenten and Alexander could not stop their laughter that surly had disrupted the night owls from their songs.

In the midst of the darkness, the light from the hut poured out and invited those wandering outside. However, the presence of the one wandering outside was all too familiar. The three adults had cut their banter abruptly as they recognized the presence of Lady Esther. Immediately they ran outside to greet the woman who had Jiraya leaning against her.

"Mother!" Both Alexander and Isaiah shouted as one took Jiraya from her and the other secured her in their arms.

"You're freezing cold." Alexander commented.

"We came straight after Jiraya remembered." She managed to say behind her chattering teeth.

"Why didn't you send a message?!" Alexander exclaimed with a tinge of anger.

"The travel back and forth would have wasted time. Let us by the fire." She insisted as her sons led her into their old home. While they escorted the two, Tenten ran inside to prepare the blankets and a fresh bowl of food for the both of them.

When the four stormed in, there was a fast and unorganized chatter that came spilling into the room. "Snakes?"

"Men in cloaks?"

"Yes, everyone. Give us a moment to breathe please." Lady Esther insisted as she sat down by the fire and accepted the warm tea from Tenten.

"So what happened?" Isaiah asked as he knelt behind his mother and covered her in a thick blanket. When he had finished wrapping her, he kept his arms locked around her in an effort to warm her up.

"Jiraya?" She glanced at the old man who was spread across the floor right on the foot of the fireplace.

"There's too much to say now," he said while Alexander examined him. "But I know this – I will unfortunately be seeing an old and familiar face soon." He frowned. "Within an hour, let us march back to the castle."

"What about me?" Tenten asked softly as she knelt by Jiraya's side.

"We're all leaving."

"But what about the other half of my chakra? They're still sealed." Tenten sent a worried glance at Lady Esther.

"We are going to unseal the rest of you." She nodded at Tenten with a warm yet confident gaze.

"There is no time." Jiraya insisted. "We must leave within the hour."

"You're doing a lot better than before but you're still in no condition to travel with that much strain." Lady Esther said sharply. "In the mean time, we can travel back to the village and resolve the matter with Tenten."

"I'd be a sitting duck. I can't even enter into your village." There was a tinge of anger rising within Jiraya's voice. "It's no use."

"Then my boys shall escort you back. In the mean time, I had made a promise to Tenten and I intend to fulfill it."

"Esther." Jiraya's voice was grim. "She is capable of living a few more days without the rest of her chakra unsealed. Gods know how strong she's gotten. She'll be fine. Once the mission is done, she can come back crawling to you." Although she didn't respond, Esther's face was scrunched up in obvious anger and offence. "Now I don't mean to sound harsh but you need to rest up far more than I do. You should wait in your village for Tenten."

"Mother… he's right. You yourself are in no condition to travel back all the way." Isaiah urged and hoped that his mother's stern face would soften into surrender. Eventually it had.

"If you get Tenten hurt or worst. I will end your life." Although Tenten was meant to be behind the attack of her words, she could not help but shiver in fear.

"Don't I get a say in this?" Tenten finally asserted.

"Classified RIC information." Jiraya stated dryly. "A new mission is soon to spring up and you're needed."

"U-understood." The next hour was a silent one as those who were able to pack up and clean had done so. When everyone was ready, they gathered by the door and waited as Isaiah smothered the flames with sand. It sizzled away, leaving a trace of smoke in the empty and gray house that had been filled with life only just an hour ago.

Tenten could not help but look back as the group walked off in a speedy gait.

123

The sun was still as bright as it was when Neji had entered the castle. It was Yamato who had been waiting by the docks to direct him to which boat he ought to take. As Sai had mentioned earlier, it was a small an agile boat that was sure to get him back to Konohagakure within 24 hours.

After the quick introductions to the crewmen, Neji was shown to his quarters. Expectedly it was far less detailed than the room from _Victory_ and the smell of the salted sea easily weathered through the walls and sat in his room. It was grey, dim and small but even he knew that it was one of the largest rooms on the boat.

As he settled in to make himself comfortable, a visitor had knocked on his door to drop of his food. Although he was hungry, he had insisted that he had to mediate but once he sat on his bed – his body succumbed into the sleep that had been deprived of him. So much so that he had slept through the majority of the boat ride.

When he had awakened he could that the food from earlier no longer spitted out its abundant fragrance in its inviting wisps. The colours from the plate had dulled but he paid no heed as he scarfed the food down. When he had finished, he decided to observe the ever-growing mass of land that he called home draw near.

The short remainder of his wait was filled with meditation and he could not help but let out a content sigh. He itched for the comforts of his bed and the warm air the brushed against his cheeks in a welcoming greet rather than the chilly bites of Kumogakuran weather.

He was the first one to exit the ship right when it docked. Immediately he ran straight for a familiar fish merchant who had recognized him instantly.

"Neji!"

"Ryota." Neji greeted back.

"What's been happening? How have you been? You look rough, different from how I usually see you! Now you look like one of us commoners." He let out a hearty laugh that Neji could only smirk to.

"Listen, I can't say much now but I need to borrow your horse."

"As always, sure thing! Just make sure to get that lass back here before dark."

"Thank you. I owe you."

"No worries! I at least owe my country something." Ryota smiled as he watched Neji jump on his horse and speed off.

It was here on this familiar road where he felt safe and comforted. People waved and expressed their excited greetings while giving him the courtesy of space as he sped off.

Along the way, it finally dawned on him that he would be entering the presence of the King. For a moment, his thoughts wavered if he ought to change into something more presentable. However the urgency of the news reminded him that there was no time to waste.

His hasty and unplanned arrival was no problem for the patient citizens in line who had been waiting for the audience of their king. Instead, they had stepped aside and were curious over Neji's dramatic entrance.

His long brown hair bellowed behind him as he sped through the doors, entered into the throne room of the king and insisted for a private audience. All those who where present where taken aback. Shock filled the onlookers and awaited the command of the king who took a moment to process the appearance of his nephew. With a wave of his hand, it was clear that he had followed through with Neji's request.

At first there was loud scattering of footsteps, shuffling of fabrics and lowered murmurs before the loud creak and pound of the doors silenced it all. Before Neji opened his mouth, he scanned the room with his byakugan to make certain no one was present. Upon his confirmation, he stepped forth and knelt at the foot of the throne. "Your highness."

"Speak."

"I have gathered news from Kumogakure. Princess Hisana is alive! We must prepare for her arrival at once." His bowed head made it impossible to see and gauge the emotion plastered across his uncle's face.

"Thank you Neji. Well done. Go and wash off. I shall discuss these matters with Naruto as you rest." Neji stood; his head was still faced down towards the marbled floor. He bowed once more before walking off but stopped when his uncle spoke. "Feel free to use the castle amenities."

"Thank you… uncle." Neji said softly before continuing his walk through the doors. The crowd gathered around it stepped back in awe before they were ushered back into the throne room to continue their debriefing.

When the audience were all tucked away with the king, Neji lowered his shoulders with a loud sigh. His pace was quick and certain.

He had to admit how eager he was to use the castle's bathtub rather than the one in the RIC house. Their ointments were far smoother and aromatic than the ones he had at home.

When he had reached his old and empty room, he wasn't surprised to see that it was spotless from dust. Even when he had opened his wardrobe, he could see the fine silks that he had left behind – clean and spotless of mold.

He entered his old bathroom, stripping his clothes and letting it fall from his body as he approached the porcelain tub. He turned the faucet on as it gushed out hot water and he didn't wait until it was full for him to climb in. Instantly, he could feel himself relax and went away scrubbing the dirt from his hair, his body and even under his fingernails.

He stayed there for an hour at least, until the water was uncomfortably lukewarm before his dripping body exited. The towels arrayed along the rack were the softest he had felt against his body and the lotion was soothingly cold over his sore skin.

The long awaited bath encouraged him to wear some of the finer silks stored in his closet before slipping out to deliver the horse back to Ryota. Unlike earlier when his travel was hurried, he slowed his pace as he leisurely took the time to greet the fellow citizens who tailed him.

Polite as always, he made sure to kindly reject those who pried too far yet engaged those who were ready to strike up a friendly conversation. The sun was starting to set into the cold blues of the sea as it brought about the purples of the sky. Ryota was already closing up his fish stand when he arrived and was glad to see Neji looking better than last time.

The two struck up their long awaited chat as Neji accompanied Ryota to his home since it was along the way to the RIC's. Eventually they had parted ways and Neji was back inside the comforts of the tall walls of the barracks. Fellow allies gathered around him to greet his arrival yet did not extend their welcome, knowing that he was a busy man. However, Neji was glad to be in the company of familiar faces as he voluntarily engaged and lengthened the conversations coming about.

A deep breath and sigh of relief touched his lips upon entering the comforts of the RIC's two story home. He paused by the entrance and listened carefully for any signs of his other comrades. Rather than the laboured breathes and jingles of Akamaru or Lee's loud exercises, Neji was met with an uninviting silence.

He had to admit, he was excited to see his friends but as expected, they'd be busy doing what they were called to do. He unfastened his boots, wondering what he ought to do first until his thoughts were abruptly cut by the sound of a faint giggle from above.

It sounded off – one belonging to a female and another to a male. He quickened his act before he crept up the stairs slowly to listen more carefully. They were muffled but all too familiar. The dread of his predictions forced him to disobey a rule that he had set up a long time ago.

Out of respect for his fellow co-workers, Neji had made a promised that he would never use his byakugan. However, in this one instance he listened to his gut and did. His concentrated eyes dawdled back and forth – still in conflict whether he should or spy or not until he stopped. He was in no place to pry.

His heart sunk into his stomach and left him squirming uncomfortably. He froze and felt his hands shaking against the railing before he made a slow retreat into the living room where he waited silently. Although his eyes were open, his thoughts were far off. They wandered and circled, questioning and recalling. His body was still but his heart was racing through the roof.

So much so that when he heard the slight creaking of footsteps, he jolted and was forced to swallow the lump on his throat. The footsteps were abruptly stopped as the presence of the person lingered by the door.

"Neji-nii-san…" He didn't need to look to know who it was but even then, his eyes longed for evidence. Evidence of what he assumed earlier – that both Hinata and Naruto shared the same room. The amount of scandal this would stir up left a bitter taste in the back of his throat. "I-I hadn't e-expected to see you so soon." She said softly, trying to speak as confidently as she could but Neji knew that she was nervous.

He finally found the courage to look at her, and rather than Hinata carrying an expression of shock, she looked dishevelled. Her clothing belonged to that of a commoner and her hair was tied behind a hat. "Of course, I'm glad to see that you are well." She smiled softly. "I had… wanted to visit… I hadn't seen Kiba so Naruto kept me company."

"Yes." He stood, perhaps, a little too quickly. Hinata recoiled, stepping back just a bit in response. Neji bit his lip at her lie. Although it was true that she'd come often to visit Kiba and Shino (when he used to be a RIC member), Hinata would also know _when_ they were home. She would also have an escort and would need to set up an appointment rather than barging in unexpectedly.

He knew.

She knew.

They both knew.

And this left them awkwardly standing there, trying to appease the blatant lie that had exploded into the elephant that now stood with them.

"L-Let me walk you home." He cleared his throat after hearing it waver. "The sun will be down by the time you get to the castle." Unlike his cool and intentional direction, he lamely ran his hand through his hair to appease the tension he felt.

"Thank you." She whispered, slipping on her shoes and waited for him. The entire time had been silent, awkward and tense. Despite their long period away from each other, Neji's had nothing to say and Hinata was too frightened to ask. She had tried in the beginning but when she received one-word answers, she stopped.

When they _had_ arrived at the castle, it was indeed dark. He insisted that he ought to escort her all the way to her quarters where she lingered for a bit. "I love him." She finally confessed thus breaking the spell of her lie. Her pearl eyes searched his as she waited for a response. His eyes only widened at her unusual display of confidence and lack of shake. All he could do was stutter, paused and just looked away.

"Goodnight princess." He said before turning on his heel. Each foot that had touched the ground was light and quick and soon matched the speed in which his thoughts were. He knew he should be angry but instead he was frightened – frightened for both Hinata and Naruto.

It was then he realized how much he loved his cousin and friend. He knew of the consequences that pursued this less-than-ideal courtship. He knew of the implications that came with it and the longer he dwelt on those thoughts, the anger began to boil inside of him.

The speed in which he jogged flowed into a sprint and soon was powered by the chakra that helplessly coursed through his veins. He impolitely ran through anyone blocking his way until he arrived back at the RIC house. Without a second of hesitation, he pulled the door open and was not surprised to see Naruto leaning by the wall, waiting.

"What the hell Naruto?!" Neji blurted out as he grabbed his colleague by the shirt. "How long have you been seeing my cousin?!"

"Neji." His voice was calm and collected yet demanded the mutual respect and maturity as that of an adult. It snapped Neji from his rage as he let him down but he felt he could not stare at his co-leaders eyes. "I love her." Again those words echoed through Neji's head in a weak attempt to justify their actions.

"Love?!" Neji repeated. "Do you know what could happen to you both if you were to be found?!" He could not help but whip around in an angry snarl. His eyes were coursing with chakra in an unintended byakugan.

A chuckle fell from Naruto's lips before he burst into fits of laughter.

"How could you find this funny?" he barked.

"It's-" Naruto was forced to pause in order to reorient his breathing. "It's just I hadn't expected your reaction to be like that."

Neji's brows scrunched in slight offense. "What do you mean by that?"

"I had expected you to go ahead and tell the king right away… or beat me up… before you let someone like me get near Hinata."

"That was the past." Neji whispered and could not help but cringe at the thought of his youth's prejudice. "Besides Naruto… I hate to admit it but you're good man. Good enough to marry her… far more than the late Prince Sasuke…I admit." He paused, licked his lips before staring Naruto down. "Did you kill him?"

"No- God no Neji! He was my best friend…" A solemn smile fell on Naruto's face before he shook his head.

"I can't believe you're so reckless!" Neji finally said. "How long has this escapade been going on? How was she able to wander around this way for so long?!"

"Since Tenten started working with her." Naruto confessed with a guilty frown. His eyes dulled over the wooden floor in front of him.

"You've gotten Tenten involved in this? Why do you persist to marry her when you know you can't be together?"

"You sound just like Sai."

"Sai's also involved?!"

"And now you apparently." Naruto grinned.

"God damn it Naruto. I'm serious about all this. My uncle's a ruthless man – how do you think he stayed on the throne for so long?"

"We love each other…"

"You keep spewing that word around but I don't think you know what it means!" Naruto scoffed and rolled his eyes at Neji.

"I don't know how to love? What about you? You're a walking tin can."

"Wouldn't it be more loving to let Hinata go? That way you both stay alive?"

"I had Neji… I let her into Sasuke's arms. I had been expecting a day like that to appear and it had and I was prepared but now… with everyone dying. I can't afford to waste another day without being near the one I love most." He paused before adding. "It's her choice too."

"You sound like a mad poet."

"Perhaps that is what love had made me become."

"Even when you guarded Hinata and promised to avenge her… you sounded like a raging poetic." The two instantly knew which memory Neji was referring to. Neji shook his head for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle. "I wish things were different Naruto… but the world of the aristocrats is a scary thing. Honour and duty is what binds us and keeps us from chaos."

"I'm not so sure about that." Naruto whispered. "If that were the case, we wouldn't be so terrified of a war." He sighed softly. "Listen. If at the end of this, I trust that Hinata will do well in your care." A silence ensued between the two as they both acknowledged that _hidden_ back-up plan. That is, if Hinata could not find a suitable partner she would be wedded off to Neji thus keeping the royal blood from being tainted.

Neji once again sighed at the thought of being wedded to Hinata. It wasn't the thought of marrying her that disheartened him but rather it was the thought of not having Tenten beside him instead. _Love is the bane of honour, the death of duty._ Those words that were in Tenten's letter haunted him once more and the image of her mournful expression made it all the more worst.

"You're more qualified to rule over this country than I." Neji blurted out. Naruto was taken aback by his words as he stared at Neji. Thoughts were scattered across his face and it was clear he was deep in thought. "I hold no desire to marry Hinata." He declared, looking up at Naruto.

"Then what do you want?" Naruto asked softly, not to inquire of him rudely but rather, to stir the emotions that had suddenly penetrated Neji's heart.

"I must-" He paused and stuttered as images of Tenten appeared in his head. To want something was not a question that Neji often asked. It was so foreign to him that he went on to report what was needed – he hid behind his work. "Princess Hisana is alive." He stated.

"I'm glad." Naruto response was sombre.

Naruto's lack of reaction caught Neji off guard. Another thought penetrated his mind, as he feared for the answer of the question he was soon to draw out. "You knew?" Naruto paused. His lips wavered – opening and closing until all he could do was give a slow nod.

"We were uncertain. There were only rumours." Naruto started off. "This was information shared only between Danzo, the king and I… Once it was confirmed, Danzo had sent one of his men to escort her but she had fled. Soon the princess was out of our grasp once more. Finding her was difficult. Kumogakure's landmass is far larger than ours."

"Then I shall assist in bringing her home. I'm sure Tenten would appreciate the help."

"That won't be necessary… The king would never allow you to leave and Tenten wouldn't be allowed back here." Naruto said with distaste. His face scrunched up as he was forced to confess these things to his dear friend. "It would disrupt the plan."

"What plan?" A sense of dread fell on Neji as he thought of Tenten. "Naruto." He persisted, his voice cold and demanding. "What plan?" His tone was lower, intimidating and rarely used yet here he was, apprehensive for an answer.

"Once it was confirmed that she was alive, Danzo suggested that we have a decoy prepared to take her place – in the case that she might be held captive. This was to ensure the safety of Princess Hisana by diverting all the attention towards the decoy… The decoy to whom this role was assigned to was Tenten."

"What?!" Neji felt sick in his stomach as his mouth opened in disgust. "You knew all this would happen?" His hands shook either in anger or fear for Tenten, His cluster of confused emotions shunned him from truly knowing but perhaps, it was most likely both.

"I had tried to vote her off the team."

" _You_ were the one who voted against her?"

"I tried." Naruto looked away. "I tried to protect her."

"I'm leaving." Neji said.

"Neji it won't work. The king has set guards around the perimeters of the docks to prevent us from leaving… otherwise, I would have been back there a long time ago."

"Then I'm traveling by horse."

"Neji."

"I'm going to find Tenten." Naruto did not say much but only offered an expression just shy of a smile. "I want to see her safe. I want her here." His cheeks felt warm – warm unlike anything he's felt before. It reminded him of when he would get sick with a cold and when he would be tucked in bed as a child from his father but at the same time, it was different. His heart stirred and clenched at the dread of not having her with him.

"Don't stop me Naruto."

"I won't… but before you go, listen." Naruto said with a heavy breath. "I informed Sai of Danzo's plan."

"He didn't tell me." Neji curled his fists in anger as his entire body and face tensed.

"You know Sai. He wouldn't dispel information if it doesn't benefit the mission. Don't be angry with him."

"Che." Was all Neji could spit out.

"But go. Rescue her. Bring her back… but be careful."

"I always am." And with that, Neji stomped up to his room to begin packing for another journey ahead.

123

The night's cold breath nipped at any exposed skin who dared to prance in front of its presence. It's intimidating gaze did little to penetrate the empty streets and left the three cloaked figures galloping blindly towards the castle. All they could do was rely on the horses and their faint memory of the road. The darkness swalled up any light except for the few embers burning tirelessly on the watchtowers scattered across the town.

The interrupted silence that accompanied the night surprised the gatekeeper as the three figures hidden behind their heavy cloaks requested entrance. His hesitancy was palpable through the blackness of the sky. However, once the second figure on the first horse had lifted his hood, the gate opened for the guests.

Both horses happily trotted through the familiar cement road towards the stable where they'd soon join the third horse that had originally joined their question.

Once the stable master had awakened from his slumber to take the horses from the possession of the three, they entered the castle that was now brightly lit from their arrival.

It was there where Elder Yulie had been waiting and he quickly approached the tallest one in the trio with a hug. "My son." He said, pulling back to rest his hands on his arms. "How do you fare? How are your mother and younger brother?"

"They are well father." Alexander smiled. "Isaiah volunteered to take mother back to the village."

"I'm glad to hear that." He said softly before greeting the other two – Jiraya and Tenten. In between their greeting, others joined the foyer to welcome them back. There was John, Alexander's uncle, his wife Madison and Sai.

"It's a good thing you're back." Sai said. "I had left my room once I saw the horses come this way. We must make haste."

"I second that." Jiraya said with a forward step. "Let us take this conversation somewhere more private with the presence of the king."

"I had already awakened him." Sai informed. He stepped back from the group and headed towards the direction of the king as the rest followed him. Tenten remained silent the whole time. In truth, she was tired and a lot of what Jiraya had told her over their travel captivated her thoughts in an unruly way.

By the time they had arrived at the king's office, Alexander and the rest of the Foresters bade their farewell before departing from the rest. Inside, Tenten felt the immediate heaviness as Jiraya went into further detail of what he had remembered. "I had seen Orichimaru's snakes… although I hadn't seen him, I had seen his apprentice. Kabuto."

She hadn't really known these people. Alexander knew far more than she had, going so far as gasping at the news when Jiraya had told them. It was only later when she discovered that Jiraya, Orichimaru and Tsunade were all colleagues. While Jiraya had settled as an ambassador, Tsunade as a clinic director, Orichimaru had claimed his inheritance in the land of the Kirigakure.

"Orichimaru huh?" Kakashi shook his head in disappointment. "Why would he come?"

"The orb." Jiraya gritted his teeth as he said this. "One of the chakra orbs, he had to have come for that."

"I thought those were myths." Kakashi whispered while Sai could only widen his eyes in shock.

"I thought so too until I had met Lady Esther…But if that is the case, we're dealing with something far more than just Konoha and Kumo. I can't imagine what he plans on doing with that kind of power."

"Let's hope we never have to find out." Tenten whispered, looking at the shiny marbled floor.

"With that being said, Sai, I was hoping you could start an investigation at Kirigakure."

"I'd be glad to… however, as much as that sounds dire, I have more pressing news to share. Princess Hisana is alive." The information had expelled any fatigue that Jiraya and Tenten cultivated and immediately they could only respond with gaping mouths.

"How?" Tenten asked.

"There had been a few insignificant rumours milling about her appearance but nothing to truly grasp onto… until now. Naruto had shared these rumours with me and although I had a hard time believing it, he insisted I keep my eyes out. Needless to say, her appearance is connected with my own investigation of the odd and long hunting trips of the young masters. I had discovered that those hunting trips were actually auctions…

"That is, they take the few Uchiha women that have survived and sell them to other houses."

"A race for the throne…" Jiraya whispered.

"Exactly." Sai confirmed with a heavy nod. "Along my investigation, it is then where I had overheard the captivity of the princess… and if they were to bid her off and if she were to bare the child of one of those men… Kingship would no longer be an impossible dream."

"That can't be…" Tenten's lips quivered as she protested. "She's pregnant!" Now this shocked the rest.

"Where did you hear that from?" Kakashi asked as his lips quivered in fear and worry.

"Sakura…"

"Does anyone else know of this?" Sai quickly insisted with such a force that Tenten was sure he'd lash at her if she didn't respond within the second.

"No one except for Princess Hisana's maidservant." Her words came out weak and quietly. Nonetheless they heard.

"That could explain why they hadn't recognized her…" Sai shook his head as he began to piece it all together. "Her weight gain and unruly attire… I had heard a few of them talk about needing to wait… before they share her around."

"Don't tell me…" Tenten was too afraid to continue the rest of her sentence. Her mind wandered off to the scenarios that Princess Hisana would be put through and that squeezed her stomach tightly. The bottom of her throat began to scratch up and she held her mouth to stop her body from releasing the few proteins she had scrapped up the past week.

"Those bastards…they'd wait for her to give birth and kill the baby." Jiraya eventually voiced their shared thoughts. It was an odd thing to feel – knowing the likely answer yet hearing it only thickened the uncomfortably that tangled around their necks.

"By the gods…" Tenten could only say. The tension in the room fell like a heavy curtain over them.

"Her reveal is within a few days where she'd be auctioned off." Sai continued on, thus increasing the thickness of the curtain that had now surrounded the room and covered them. It was difficult to breathe except Tenten was now forced to respond upon his question. "We're going to rescue her… and Tenten, we need you go undercover with me and escort her out."

"How?" Tenten looked up with her bright eyes widening in worry. "I am not a man nor do I look like an Uchiha."

"Chakra." Sai plainly informed. There was a long pause as she thought of this.

"I'll-"

"You'll be impersonating the princess." Sai interrupted before staring at her in the eyes. Black clashed against brown as unspoken traveled between the two.

"I'll do it." She said without a waiver. Yet that confidence sounded so foreign to her ears as she could feel her heart drum rapidly in growing fear. This, she knew, could be a one-way ticket from seeing her parents.

1234567

Edited: Canceled Ezekiel's name and changed it to Isaiah.


	9. Chapter Eight: Pawns on the Board

Chapter Eight: Pawns on the Board

"Are you ready?" Sai's question had drawn Tenten's attention away from the fort that stood a mile from her. It's grey, moss-covered stones and crumbled tower looked exactly like the sketches that Sai had produced. It was tucked away in the thick trees of the northern forests and was situated just before the river that once separated Kumogakure from Tanigakure.

"Ready as can be." She murmured as she focused her eyes back to the tower that their carriage was approaching. In the foreground of her window, she could see her reflection… however, to claim that it was her own felt like a lie. It made her stomach churn uncomfortably and had hardly eased her anxiety despite her wearing the disguise for over two days now.

Her hair had darkened into a chocolate brown, her eyes lightened into a pale green while it's shape widened and stretched. The curve of her nose lengthened and swooped onto a pair of lips thicker than the ones she owned. Even her scarred and tanned skin disappeared behind the velvety paleness of Princess Hisana.

As Tenten's gaze unfocused on the reflection in front of her, her skin crawled and it's tickle concentrated on the back of her neck where Sai had left the seal. Instinctively, her hand rose and caressed the mark. Unlike the smooth surface of her new skin, she could feel the bumps of each intricate character of the letters. Again, she could not help but shiver.

After all, it wasn't the first time her body had been marked.

"You'll do fine." Sai's words caught her from her thoughts as she stared at the man who sat in front of her. Although his words were addressed for her, his head was turned towards the same window she had been staring at earlier.

"I feel like you don't really mean that." Was what she had wanted to say but hadn't. There was a small moment of silence before Sai turned his dark-coloured eyes directly into hers and offered a comforting smile.

"You're a RIC. You've made it because of your skills. At least have faith in that." Her lips quivered in response as she was left speechless with his trust in her.

"Thank you." She muttered instead.

The rest of the carriage ride wasn't as undisturbed as the travel there. In fact, they began to move everything into motion. Tenten hid within the seat compartment that Sai would sit on. After she was properly stuffed inside, he conjured up another image of himself, albeit one that had an appearance of a foreigner and of an aristocratic aura.

Tenten could tell that they were getting closer by the heightened sounds of horses' neighing. There was a growing amount of clattered hooves and buzzes of words being tossed in the air that directed where each one ought to park. Eventually, their carriage had come to a halt and the voices from outside cleared into distinct words.

"Letter of Invitation?" She could hear the gaunt accent of a less educated servant declare.

"He' yah go sir." Sai had responded in his theatrical voice as he stumbled off his seat to reveal the letter he had forged a long while ago. His removal from his seat gave Tenten a chance to peak through the hole that Sai had purposely made to cover with his calf whenever he sat.

Although she couldn't make out what lay beyond the window, she was pleasantly surprised by how real the shadow of their false aristocrat looked. It didn't seem to blink but its blue eyes tailed Sai and soon landed on her. She shuddered at the realization.

"House Saito? I don't think I've heard much about that house."

"Escuse me?" Sai responded with a snip. "Ye dare say that right e' front of me master? Don't ye know that me sir is a far off cousin to thee Fujiwara clan? We maybe small but our allies sure ain't!"

"Itsuki." The chilling voice of the puppet spoke and removed his rested hand from his crossed legs. He leaned forward and his stagnant, bone-chilling stare caught the attention of the one who greeted them. "Forgive my subordinate. He's extremely loyal to my name. Perhaps we can gather my cousin and he can clear the misunderstanding." It said, purposefully wrapping his jewellery covered hand around the hedge of the door.

The rings glistened under the faint sunrays that managed to break through the thick grey clouds thus revealing the emblems of the houses that _were_ recognizable. "Ah, forgive me sir. No need to bother them." Although he tried to sound reassured, Tenten could hear the hesitation and confusion hidden within his veiled nerves. "I'm sure I've heard them talk about inviting some sort of distant cousin. They were probably talking about you."

"O' course they would be." Sai interjected passionately.

"Again, apologies. Tonight's a special night after all."

"Understandably." The aristocrat shined a smile that was eerily similar to that of Sai's. And as quickly as the act had begun, their puppet had fallen back into stillness once the carriage moved them forward and out of sight from the inspector. Once they had found a parking spot away from the entrance of the fort, somewhere closer to the woods, Tenten had clambered out of the seat to see the aristocrat disintegrate into smoke.

While Sai had transformed into the shape of the aristocrat from earlier, Tenten grabbed a heavy sackcloth cloak and covered it over herself. "You set?" Sai asked as he fixed the cufflinks around his ruffled tunic.

"Yes."

"Remember, I do _all_ of the talking."

"I understand." Although Tenten wanted to crack a joke about his phenomenal acting, she found her throat tighten up. The weightiness of their situation had finally reached Tenten's reality. Their plans were no longer found in writing but was being carried out by their footsteps.

They stepped out of the carriage. Their escort who had commanded their vehicle gave them a firm nod as he ducked away from them and into the forest. "I can't believe Yamato insisted to be here." Tenten whispered, glancing over her shoulder as she witness the carriage morph and recline into a block of wood and slip into the forest, after its commander.

"He's the Right Hand of the King, it's his duty to carry out the righteous acts of King Kakashi." Sai responded. His voice was much darker than his original tone thus matching the image of a strong and icy image of the Kumogakuran.

As they approached the entrance, Tenten drew closer to Sai as they neared the greeters. "Welcome." They would greet brightly, as if the things that lay beyond were completely innocent. It made Tenten sick to her stomach.

They continued on through the velvet-carpeted hallway that hid the dust from the cold stones of below. Although their attempt appeared to be a half-hearted fix from the fact that this castle had been abandoned for decades, Tenten was impressed by how much they had restored.

The lightening was bright and the temperature of the area was warm. There was excited chatter milling about and when they had reached the grand hall where all the tables had been set up, both Sai and Tenten were able to see who exactly had been invited.

The occupants were young, none past 35. They all chatted between each other, raising their voices across tables if needed. It showed their close comradery but even worst, it showed how comfortable they were with the proceedings. Luckily, they weren't the only pair to make their first appearance.

She could tell that there was at least a handful of new arrivals by the uncertainty scattered across their eyes. And it seemed that one of them noticed the other new blood around. Tenten watched carefully as the freckled faced blonde rose from his seat and made his way towards their table.

"New here too?" He asked with a confident grin. His retainer that stood behind him remained still and unmoved.

"What makes you say that boy?" Sai answered back without a flinch in his expression.

"Gut feeling?"

"Which house are you from?" Sai asked.

"Nothing really big. House Gima. Honestly I wouldn't have known about this if I didn't attend my far distant cousin's wine party three months ago." He snickered.

"Whose your cousin?" There was a slight fluctuation of interest in Sai's tone.

"He's a behind the scenes type of guy since he helped set this up."

"It isn't House Yagami, is it?" Sai asked, hoping to clear any suspicion since this castle was found within their land.

"Are you nuts? It may be under their property but no way would they want to get involved in _this_." He snickered. "Although they're not directly part of the Uchiha Clan, they married into it." He paused. "But nah, my cousin is from House Fukuda."

"Hm." Sai responded. It was clear by his face he recognized them. "So you know what's being done here?"

"Duh. Isn't that why you're here too?"

"Yes. However, I'm far more intrigued by the speciality of tonight."

"I know what you mean." The blonde responded with a wide grin. "I'd have no chance betting my lot in. You have to give a portion of your land if you even want to enter into the auction. I'll have to spare my luck with the others."

"Right." Was the only thing that Sai could say as he gritted his teeth and forced it into a smile. "Excuse me, I must freshen up before we partake in further chatter. Do you know where the lavatories are?"

"Ah yeah. Go back to where you entered but before you exit, turn into a strict right, once you reach the end of the hall, turn left. Turing right leads you to the kitchen. Wouldn't want to get scolded by the cook." He chuckled. "Oh, and be sure not to get lost. This place is like a maze!"

"Right, we wouldn't want that." Sai said slowly. "Now if you will excuse me." He stood, bowed his head slightly before turning around to follow the directions given to him. There was another wave of others who had arrived but they had managed to get by without arousing suspicion as they turned the corner.

However, once they reached the end of the hallway, they opted to turn right rather than left. "The great thing about old forts like this one is the endless amount of corridors and exits." Sai grinned, morphing back into his original apparel and face. "It's a good thing I memorized the map." He said as he turned into a corner to avoid an approaching worker.

When the person had walked by, Sai memorized the details of his face and clothing to match. He continued to lead Tenten by the waist, down towards the long and spiral staircase where it was believed they took the captives.

Each echoing footstep seemed to amplify the sound of their own unsteadied heartbeats that bounced loudly against the cages of their chest.

It took a while until they found the right holding cell. They had outlined a few possible locations that ended up being rocked in, used as storage or had molded for ages.

Halfway through their list of potential locations they had realized a shift in atmosphere. The approaching room glowed a shade of yellow from the melted candles hung from the candelabra scattered across the tables and floors. The tepid temperature that melded from human warmth and the coolness of the stone splashed against their face.

Accompanied by it was the pungent smell of perfume in an effort to mask the rancid sweat and urine that lay about. Sai raised his hand to signal Tenten to slow her pacing. Once she had, she watched the outline of light trace the fluidity of his hand movements.

With a deep breath, he straightened his back and approached the cells.

"Yasuyuki…" She heard a voice call out. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be preparing snacks for the guest?"

"They kinda kicked me out."

"You sick? You sound different." Another voice chirped.

"Musta caught something from all the mold that's collected over all these years." A pause. "I get why they chose this place but couldn't they have chosen some place less…. old?" By his quieted voice, Tenten could tell that Sai had now neared the guards. She waited patiently, wondering if he had found where the Uchiha's were.

"Hey, just curious… since when did they move the princess?" She heard him ask.

"Since the morning? They had to pretty her up."

"Know where… by chance?"

"Some snobby room that once belonged to the quartermaster? I don't bloody know."

"Useless." Was Sai's last word before there was a cluster of sounds: flesh against bone, steel against stone, wood splintering against grunts. Tenten quickly jumped out of the darkness and could see two men collapsed before Sai. "Took you long enough." He said lowly, closing and opening his fists.

"I knew you could handle them."

"Right." He smirked before he swooped down to collect a ring of keys. Tenten soon joined him to one cell where a group of ladies cowered to the corner as their saviours approached the gates.

"We're here to rescue you." Tenten informed and could already see them relax upon hearing a female voice. Once Sai fiddled with the lock and got it open, the woman scattered out to meet them. Their hairs had been undone from their elegant buns and their once extravagant dresses were now stained and dull.

Even now, it was clear they were Uchiha women – their dark ebony eyes and hair along with their pale skin easily marked the clan.

Despite their unruly appearances, Tenten could smell the strong grimy soap and overlaid perfume that hid their sweat and stain. It seemed that they were made to look their best for the day but it was also clear that they've fought and squirmed the whole time before succumbing under their captor's control.

"Are there any other prisoners around?" Sai asked.

"No! They've kept us all here!" One spoke but paused once she recognized Tenten's 'face'. "Princess! You've made it out okay! Where is Akemi?" She grasped onto Tenten's shoulders with great distress.

"I'm not her." Tenten's voice came out unintentionally feeble. Perhaps it hadn't truly settled that she was wearing a face not belonging to her until now. "I'm simply a decoy." She informed them and watched their confused expressions relax back into worry. "Do you know where she is?"

"She's been taken upstairs. We aren't sure where exactly but apparently she'll be treated like royalty." Another one spoke in place of the first. Both Sai and Tenten exchanged a lengthy look before Sai let out a long sigh.

"I'll lead you ladies to safety." He told them. "In the mean time." He looked at Tenten. "You should find the princess quickly before we stirrup any more trouble. Tell her to meet me here. Tell her that my name is _Arthur_." His eyebrows were knitted together as his eyes intensely watched her.

"Understood." She nodded.

"Oh and…." Sai said, stopping her. "Here." He pulled out a small brush and with it the never dried tip glittered against the light from the torches that were hung up. "Trail it against the wall so the Princess has something to follow and don't worry about being discreet. Only the beholder can see it marks."

When her fingertips touched the wooden handle, she could already feel the small tinge of chakra pulsing within. "Understood."

"All the best to you." He nodded thus sending her off to travel back into the darkness and up the stairs where the rest of the people were.

She was thankful that wearing a heavy cloak hadn't marked her as an anomaly. It seemed that the majority believed this entire event to be scandalous and preferred to remain masked as well. That and the young lords preferred to keep their servants unnamed. This gave her the courage to traversed through the halls, marking her path as she went yet was considerate of the travel back.

She made sure to trek through a less conspicuous course. That said she was glad that she studied the map of the fort thus memorizing the best options in less time. Like the far stairs she now approached. They were hardly used due to the distant placement and thankfully they hadn't rotted away either.

So she scaled the swirling staircase and letting the brush loose between her fingertips as she traced the walls. Eventually she had reached the top floor that was distinctly colder than the floors below.

It suddenly made sense when she walked passed some doors where she could see entire walls decayed and gone.

The top floor had colours of pastel blues and her steps slowed as she cautiously approached each room. Most of them were empty and abandoned; some of them had soldiers wandering about to pass time and one of them clearly held something of great value.

There were at least four guards present and Tenten immediately began to worry at the sight of them. Unlike all the others soldiers on the floor, these distinct four were attentive, observant and unwilling to move.

She could think of no other way than to fight. Her hand felt for the dagger by her hip as she grasped it and calculated who she could take apart first. They were all clad in heavy armour - she paused and realized her advantage. Suddenly, she felt giddy, a wanting to jump and giggle but kept her composure.

After a movement of quick hand signals, she muttered "kai" and weaved the chakra from her body towards their way. The mass of energy instantly crashed over them. At first they began to squirm, next they pulled their masks up to show their reddened faces before crumbling onto the floor as the metal protection around them began to concave and bend in unnatural ways.

It was so quick that they barely had time to scream in agony.

Tenten ran over to the door quickly and burst in to see the Princess nearly fall from her pedestal at the sight of the intruder. "You're here to be rescued." Tenten informed once she closed the door and pushed her hood aside to reveal her face.

With Princess Hisana's mouth still agape she shared a glance at her older maidservant who stepped forward from behind the Princess. "You look just like the Princess." Akemi whispered as her thick and calloused hands rose slowly to her shocked expression.

Her words felt kind. In truth, Princess Hisana looked worst for ware. The bags under her eyes were deep and bruised, her frown dulled her face, and her hair appeared dry and rough. By some reason, they had given her makeup that did not compliment her complexion. To top it off, the hands that applied it to her did not know what they were doing.

"Quickly now, you must meet Arthur downstairs." Tenten scrambled, "he will lead you to your rescuer." She pulled aside her clock, handing it off to Akemi as she stripped herself naked so that she can exchange her clothing with the Princess.

"No, there is no point."

Tenten paused and looked at the defeated woman who only went on to observe herself in the mirror.

"My husband is dead. My family is dead and my country is in ruin."

"Princess, please." Akemi whispered.

"I refuse to raise my child in such an environment. I would rather die and let them have their way with me-" A loud slap echoed throughout the stone walls that surrounded them.

"You mustn't say that." Tenten said sternly. "Not now, not ever. You can start again with the baby inside you. You have a role in all of this! I didn't get sent here to just see you give up!" With each passing sentence her voice got louder and louder until the Princess rested a gentle and cold hand against Tenten's flushed cheeks.

"And for whom did you come from?"

"Konohagakure." She exhaled.

"Konoha…" The Princess whispered softly, playing with the word in her head.

"You have people who care for you there! Sakura for one." Princess Hisana's eyes lit up at the sound of the name that she held dearly before her life had been turned upside down. "So please, take care of yourself and your child… and change into the rags I've brought."

She didn't say a word but there was now a spring in her actions as she unlaced her shaped corset and squirmed out of her crinoline. Akemi quickly jumped up to help, likewise with Tenten who held onto the layers of silk being given to her.

When Princess Hisana finally reached down to her bloomers, Tenten could now see the perfect swell of her stomach. But aside from that, she could see that the Princess had lost an unhealthy amount of weight – she looked incredibly frail and breakable.

Her face immediately turned downcast at the sight. "Princess…" She said softly, catching her attention. "I know it's odd but I need you to mark my stomach." She reached for her dagger and held out her other hand as a request for the hand of the Princess.

At first Akemi was hesitant but the Princess went ahead without paying heed to her maidens concern. Tenten turned over the Princess' hand so her palms were faced up. She lifted the dagger over Hisanna's hand and used it to prick her thumb.

The thin opening to her vein caused a bubbling of blood to form and before it would clog up, Tenten moved it towards her flat stomach.

Carefully she guided her hand to create a symbol on her skin before she released her grasp. All the ladies kept their eyes locked on the mark and watched in shock as Tenten's belly stretched. It kept going growing until it matched the shape of the Princess' own bump.

"Wow." Was all they could say.

"I _am_ a decoy." She insisted with a faint smile. "I ought to look like you." Tenten whispered before turning around to slip on the dress that the Princess had worn just a while ago. After Akemi had finished assisting the Princess, they both helped without exchanging any words.

Tenten could not help but keep her eyes on the mirror. It was odd. She couldn't help but let out an airless snort. She remembered wanting to be dressed up like this – to be part of the noble class with their fancy dresses, their unnecessary balls and exotic dishes.

Now all she wanted was to disappear.

"Thank you for this." Akemi whispered, stepping back to observe the final product. "You look beautiful."

Tenten felt no energy to respond. After all, it was not truly her face that they complimented. Instead, she turned to face them, unexpectedly feeling a hitch in her throat and her eyes sting. "Take this." She managed to say, fighting against the waver in her voice.

She handed the Princess the paintbrush. "Follow the marks and it will lead you to back to the prison where Arthur is. He's waiting along with the rest. He will get you out of here safely."

"What if he's not there?" Akemi asked.

"He will be. The Princess is our first priority." The shear amount of confidence that exuded from Tenten's words quickly shut Akemi up.

Instead, they followed obediently as Tenten led them to the door. She made sure to peek outside first – the four bodies remained unmoved and she pointed towards the way to where she came from. "Just be careful. There are some soldiers making use of the beds and objects in the other rooms. If you sneak by, you should be well."

"Thank you." Akemi said again, speaking both for her and the Princess.

"Take good care of her."

"I always will."

And with their final exchanges of nods and glances, they ran down the hallway, following the lines that Tenten could no longer see.

She sighed and raised her hand. With it, she contorted the metal armour once more to have them standing. Although they looked slightly limp, at least it would draw less attention than if they were on the ground.

When she finished, she walked back inside and stood on the pedestal – waiting. Time seemed irrelevant at this point and as much as she wanted to feel dull, her heart panged painfully against her chest.

Her stomach swirled uncomfortably and whenever she went on to pat it, she was always surprised to see it's large shape. It only made her want to throw up. With her new pounding migraine, she decided to sit on the dusted bed and felt it give way to her weight.

She closed her eyes and wondered what Neji did in the middle of a mission - in the middle of a wait. He probably meditated. She couldn't help but laugh at the thought, how absurd yet how familiar and comforting it was to know.

She wondered what he was doing now. The last time that they had exchanged letters, he was at the castle but Jiraya mentioned how he had escorted him to the forest. Yet he was not there in the tiny cottage when they had gone to check on him nor was he in the castle.

Perhaps he was back in Konoha. "Konoha." She couldn't help but say it out loud. "Would I ever see you again?" She hummed before letting out a deep sigh. Immediately her thoughts wandered to her friends: Hinata, Naruto, Lee and Sakura. She could just picture them all enjoying a cup of tea under the warm sun and clear skies.

To miss the weather there was unfathomable when she had first arrived. Upon the docking of the ship, she remembered the sun piercing its bright rays towards her way. She had never felt the harsher side of the sun's touch until then. The thick grey clouds of Kumogakure had always masked it.

With a tentative hand, she blocked it from burning her eyes before she dared take a peak at it. Never had she seen a sky without any clouds before. She had thought that it was too warm for her liking. But now, she found herself missing its bright colours and the people that basked in its glory.

If she closed her eyes and pictured it all, she could almost smell the strong aromas of fresh baked bread and sweets as she ran through the early city streets. She could even hear her friend's melodious laughter and their fast paced conversation. It was music to her ears and tugged a smile against the corner of her lips.

Her trance was euphoric and she feared that it would end.

Her fear came true. An unwelcomed intruder abruptly ended the daydream. "Get up quickly!" His reddened face was dripping with sweat and his voice wavered with laboured breathing.

"What's with the rush? I thought I was the last one to be shown."

"They's been a change in the program." He marched towards her and yanked her by the arm. "Where's that old hag of yours?"

"Washroom."

"Whatever." His stress no doubt obscured his thinking.

"You're a little rough, don't you think?"

"Well you've got a mighty attitude problem for a lady!" He snipped back, ignoring the clutter of metal that echoed behind them as they descended down the stairs.

"What's with the rush?" She insisted, acting oblivious to the events of earlier.

"It's a damn mess, that's what it is."

"What? All the food that's been cooked sent a wave of upset stomachs?"

"You maybe a princess but if you don't shut up, I'll give you a smack or two."

With a prompt "humph", Tenten kept her mouth shut as he dragged her to backstage. The closer they approached, the more she could hear the rampage of "boos" and the stuttered attempt to calm them down from the speaker.

"Go up and smile Princess. Like you going for one of them portraits you fancy people have." He said and pushed her onto the stage where she was forced to stand under the concentrated light of candles all scattered across the waxed floor.

It was incredibly warm in the main hall. The restless occupants were silenced by her appearance. Although she could not make out most of their faces, she could feel their eyes all over her.

"Don't look at me." She wanted to say but she held her tongue back and just stood there – unsure of what to do.

"Relax Princess, do a dance or something." One voice shouted – sounding vaguely similar to Lord Ishikawa's son. Tenten looked down and realized that both her hands gripped tightly to the sides of her dress. She relaxed them, earning a few whistles and laughter from the audience.

"Itachi really knocked you up!" Another set of howlers reacted in laughter. Tenten could feel her eyes sting with tears and was glad that she had to endure this rather than Hisana.

"Who'd be the next?" One said, standing up and raising his hand to the crowd. Her heart froze at those words… She had never known a man intimately before and now they were gathered and ready to bid for her untouched flower. "I raise 5000 gold coins." She bit her lip.

It was there on that stage where all the respect and hard work she had garnered were wiped clear. She was a mere object: a pawn in their quest for the throne and she, who was once a knight, was now sacrificed for the sake of the queen.

"5000? That's too cheap. 10,000 I say." One insisted.

"It hurts." She thought. The tears now began to well in her eyes and she quickly rubbed them away, hoping no one would notice. Yet she knew that was only a wish - a wish that would be tarnished as the men exaggerated their pity.

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of you!"

"I'll be sure to wipe those tears away!"

"Not if I outbid you!"

"No amount of money can win the Kingdom."

"You already have a few Uchiha female in your possession."

"But none of them are princesses."

The Master of Ceremonies immediately swept the conversation back into his control with his naturally loud voice. He took the reigns of their meandering and brought it back to the purpose of their gathering.

"I hear a 10,000, anyone willing to do 20,000?" A vast majority of hands rose and with each bid gaining traction, the raised hands also began to diminish. Tenten's consciousness began to fade away as she concentrated on nice thoughts to control the vomit rising in her chest.

"I hear a 100,000?" Now there were two hands left and the room had gone into a silence as Wanatabe's eldest son, Kira, remained stoic against his cloaked combatant. While half the room were intrigued in how this would end, the other had lost interest and anxiously waited for the row of cheaper Uchiha women to be presented.

"This is a child's game." Kira's deep voice announced. "I'll seal it with 150,000." There was a gasp amongst the people and even Kira's attending servants hesitated.

"I-I hear 150,000! Anyone willing to go higher?" The MC exclaimed.

"155,000." The other responded with a smugness that only riled up Kira. The main competitor stood as he slammed his palms against the mahogany wood table.

"Enough!" His voice pierced into the night thus sparking the interest of those who have lost it so long ago. Rarely was Kira a man of anger. As the eldest of the Wanatabe family, he carried himself with much pride, elegance and dignity.

To see his stature crumble in a mere hour was unfathomable.

"Of whose house and family are you from that suggests you even possess the riches you dare make mention and must I remind you that this bid comes with land fees?"

Kira then straightened his back, fixed his vest and waited patiently for a response. When there was none, he cleared his throat and gave a nod to the Master of Ceremonies to continue before taking his seat.

"A-and so Princess Hisana shall be handed to Kira Wanatabe for 150,000!" He declared and slammed his staff onto the stage. It echoed loudly and earned an applause from the group. "Now… unfortunately, there has been some sad news of the late… As you can tell, we had to pull the Princess earlier than intended due to this… misfortune."

The crowd stiffened in their seats and stopped what they were doing to hear the full extent of the announcements. "The other Uchiha women had all committed… suicide by poison just before the beginning of the event." Tenten's eyes widened in surprise – was that the story they'd stick with? Perhaps it _was_ better than admitting the ladies escaped under heavy watch.

"We're extremely apologetic over the matter and we hope–" He paused to dodge a fruit that had been tossed his way. "That you enjoy the rest of the evening with the food and complimentary ladies." He managed to continue as the crowd voiced their final disappointments before accepting the provocatively dressed woman sauté into hall with alluring dances.

In the end, the majority had stayed to entice their cravings. Some were getting ready to leave like Kira Wanatabe.

He approached Tenten on the stage and offered his arm. She was taken aback by his chivalry but accepted nonetheless as he led her backstage.

She was shocked to see one who was waiting – Hideki Hamasaki. He was taller than she last remembered. His freckles had faded away and his face matched the handsomeness of his father's except he was younger. However, there was one thing that hadn't changed: his snide and wide grin.

"Kira!" His deepened voice rallied with excitement as the one whom he called approached. Tenten froze and could not help but tighten her grip around Kira's arm.

If he felt it, he made no note of it.

"It's good to see that you've finally betted. You were always coming to these events without spending much. I was starting to worry that you weren't interested in… women." He winked. "Unless, you're interest in both." Tenten made all the effort she could to avoid sharing a glance.

Although she wore someone else's face, she feared that he would see right through her.

"I was simply waiting for the crown jewel amidst the rest." Kira stated as he avoided Hideki's touch. "Now for the payment."

His cloaked servant stepped up to hand him the deed to a portion of land while another pair of servants entered with a chest of gold. "You can count them if you'd like but I assure you, we came prepared for the amount I had bided."

"Of course, of course. If anything, you can always pay off the rest in the next auction?"

"There's no need for that." Kira informed. "I ask that you withdraw any invitations you plan on sending from here on out." His face remained blank as he said all this while Hideki made no effort to hide his disapproval.

"You're always so frank." He pouted.

"As I should be. Now if you excuse me." He turned his heel and proceeded to walk into the hallway. His servants followed behind quietly as Tenten allowed herself to be led by him.

"Kira! Did you have something to do with the disappearances of tonight?" Rarely did Hideki make his words so threatening yet here he did.

"What do you speak of?" Kira paused to pose his question. Tenten knew he knew nothing of the escape plan but his lack of expression did little to justify his innocence.

"Hm, I had assumed you knew something…" Hideki said with a strict voice, void of all flattery. "Besides Princess. I'm surprised that you shared little to no resistance since your maidservant has made no presence till this point."

With all her might, Tenten resisted her body from cringing.

"I-It," She paused and cleared her throat to respond. "You pulled me out of the room so quickly I barely had time to tell Akemi that I was leaving." She explained and was thankful that her back was faced against the man that had haunted her childhood.

"Right…" Hideki murmured. "You had told the one who escorted you that she was using the washroom?"

"Correct."

"I'd appreciate it if you weren't so accusatory to my property." Kira interjected. "It's clear that she is still in shock. Forgive her if she doesn't remember the location of _one_ servant."

"Apologies, apologies." Hideki grinned. "It's a good thing we've found her anyways. I think she got lost looking for you."

Tenten's eyes widened when she heard a loud thump from the weight of a body fall onto the ground. Without a second to think, she released herself from Kira to turn around and see Akemi on the ground – out of breath.

"Here she is Princess." The appearance of the old and haggard woman mistreated riled Tenten's anger as she glared at Hideki. "Oh, there's that fighting spirit! I haven't seen it since we first found you." For once he stopped smiling and she could see those devilish green pair of eyes.

The same pair of eyes that had caught her so long ago – except this time, she feared that she would be the one caught in the act.

Despite the fear that swallowed her heart, she ran to Akemi's side and helped lift her up. Soon Kira's own attendants aided her and supported her.

"What did you do to her?" Tenten raised her voice.

"Ah," Hideki raised a hand against his exaggerated expression of offense. "I did nothing!" He insisted but pulled another wide smirk. "But I can't quite say much about my men. You know. We had to make sure she wasn't part of the disappearance of all the other Uchiha women."

"Disappearance? I thought they committed suicide." Kira spoke. For one his expression had a waver of genuine shock.

"Oh, so you truly had no part in their escape… I see that now." Hideki shook his head before bursting into laughter. "At first I thought it was too strange that the only time you decided to bid – all the other ladies would disappear as well. But how foolish is it of me to even consider you? Since nothing out of the ordinary happened all the other times you've made your presence known."

"I don't waste my time on folly accusations."

"Then what about you Princess?" Tenten froze at his address. "I'm sure _you_ wouldn't have anything to do with the other disappearances?" She could feel her mouth dry up as her brain racked for an alibi.

Once she thought of one, she inhaled deeply and licked her lips before proceeding with her confident answer. "How would I have done anything with their disappearances? I was locked upstairs! And I say, good on them for leaving! At least they don't have to live the rest of their lives in torment!" When she finished her speech, she hadn't intended for tears to accompany her words.

"Humph." Hideki rolled his eyes. "Well whoever's playing this little rescue game should stop. I say: you can't save _everybody_. Life is cruel like that."

"Are you certain that it isn't just you who's cruel?" Tenten bit back.

"Oh? You want to play that little game." He stepped forward into her space and raised a hand to lift her chin until Kira stopped him.

"My property." Kira reminded.

"Ah. Yes. Forgive me. She's been under my procession for too long, I simply forgot. Women are so meek and fragile. It's so fascinating – playing with your emotions like that." He grinned. "Your spirit reminds me of someone back when I was just a mere boy." Tenten choke from the sudden lump form in her throat.

"Anyways Princess." Hideki continued, waving the thought off. "Too bad you couldn't join the escape plan but at least you have your slave to grumble with. And Kira, don't worry about the payment. Take it a complimentary piece the main attraction." Hideki winked. "I hope you don't forget our partnership when you end up ruling Kumogakure? I'm sure we'll find each other as suitable allies. You own the land and I'll own the sea."

Kira made no attempt to respond to that with any words but only exchanged a single nod. He proceeded to take Tenten by the waist as he led her back to the exit. When they were far enough from the main hall, Kira finally turned to look at Tenten.

"Did he hurt you?" He asked gently. Tenten winced at his question and immediately Hideki stopped to inspect her reaction more carefully. "What did he do?" His voice grew grim.

"Do not act as if you are concerned." Her words were laced with anger as she grimaced. "Aside from how he emotionally manipulated me and mishandled me, I can assure you that just being around him makes me sick. As a matter of fact being here makes me sick! All these people and you." He recoiled at her last word but relaxed and continued to lead them to his carriage.

"I hadn't bought anyone else aside from you."

"As if that should make me feel better." She gritted her teeth. "You're no better than those men who want to use us ladies for the sake of winning the Kingdom."

"Hisana-" He bit his tongue from continuing. He waited until a large group of drunken men walked by to give them their congratulations.

"Fuck her good for us would you?" They shouted loudly and Tenten could not help but wince at their words.

"Hisana." He continued once they were gone. His tone was gentle and foreign compared to the rest of them. Yet his coaxing could not stop her from pushing him aside as she felt the bile ride up her body and through her mouth.

"Princess…" Akemi had managed to mutter in her exhausted state.

She felt utterly helpless and pathetic as another rush of vomit escaped her.

"Here." She heard Kira's voice. She felt his hand smoothen her back as he wiped her mouth delicately with his silk handkerchief. Once he finished, he reached out to caress her cheek but Tenten could not help but avoid his touch.

Upon receiving such a reaction, he withdrew his hand and offered his arm once more as he led her to his carriage. She avoided eye contact with him and watched the others hastily make their way into the fort to join the orgy.

Once they entered the carriage, Kira sat across from Tenten while Akemi was placed by her side. Tenten reached out for Akemi's hand in hopes to comfort her. Or perhaps it was to receive comfort for her own sake as well.

Kira's gaze no longer watched her every move but instead, kept an eye out the window. It was there where she noticed his sword rise from his long tunic and his hand that lay by it.

"Be on the watch…" He whispered. "Some men are still willing to fight for your life despite my payment."

Her eyes traveled back to watch Kira's servants travel by horses beside their carriage. When they were far enough from the fort, Tenten examined Akemi as best as she could. She had sustained a head bump that was starting to swell but aside from that, she was well.

Eventually, the silence led Tenten into meditation.

Kira Wanatabe. She knew much about him – as far as the files would let her. He _was_ to be engaged to Princess Hisana before Itachi Uchiha had asked for her hand. Likewise, the cousin that was originally assigned to marry Itachi was handed elsewhere.

It was obvious that both Hisana and Kira were greatly displeased by it but none could resist the demand of the Royal Family.

According to the rumours and some files hidden away, the two lovers had exchanged letters to one another for at least a year after her marriage to Itachi. They were young then – only 16 or so.

These letters however were extremely scandalous and were forced to end. Around that time, it was then where many believed her to finally fall in love with Itachi instead.

Tenten didn't know much about their relationship aside from the documents she studied but she hoped her acting would be enough to convince Kira of whatever salvageable relationship they had now.

Since, after all, Kira was also married to a woman under a great household.

"How is your wife?" Tenten finally found herself asking.

"She is well… and wonderful. We compliment each other beautifully. I could not help but fall for her charms much like you had with Itachi." He said. "Although it took me a long time to understand why things came about like it had, I find myself appreciating it.

"Our daughter is doing well, I might add." He informed. "Although father wants a boy to continue our linage, I am overjoyed at the little one. I find myself wishing Itachi were still alive so that he also could partake in the joy of being a father."

His words were incredibly sweet, so sweet that it made her ears hurt. "Thank you." Tenten responded gently. "I wish he was here too." On cue, she led her hand on her swollen stomach.

"You are still my first love Hisana." He told her, earning a slight sting against Tenten's own heart. "Much like I was yours." He smiled. "Although our hearts belong elsewhere now, I like to think that we are still of value to one another in a kinship type way."

"Yes. Of course." She responded, matching his optimism. She would play with it for now. As long as she wouldn't get caught nor would she desire any more misfortune on Akemi.

And perhaps she wouldn't need to keep her guard up all the time. Perhaps the words that he spoke were genuine.

Although she knew it was folly to trust an enemy, it gave her some slight comfort that perhaps her time with him wouldn't be _completely_ terrifying.

1

Moments had passed and in the wake of night, the sudden halt of the carriage abruptly woke Tenten. She could hear the horses whine uncomfortably and she felt her mind begin to calculate what could be the cause. Until a warm hand smothered her own to comfort her.

She glanced up and could see Akemi by her side – fully awake. Perhaps awake for a long time now. Meanwhile Kira's faint silhouette was now standing at full attention towards the entrance of the carriage.

"Kira?" She whispered.

"Hush now," He said softly. "As I had predicted." He shook his head and pulled the curtain from the door. With one confident swoop, he raised his sword from his belt and pointed it towards the door.

She could hear the clanging of swords outside – she knew that there was a battle and although she had the ability to help, she knew she shouldn't. Instead, she decided to listen carefully and _feel_ the presence of the intruders that decided to ambush them.

Something rapid moved towards the carriage and she lost her breath as she watched the pelt of bullets rain down and splinter the wood around her. Unlike Akemi who cowered into Tenten side, Tenten was left marvelling as an aura wrapped itself around the three of them thus directing the bullets elsewhere.

Her eyes widened in shock. There was no doubt.

She could sense it.

Chakra.

He was using Chakra.

She'd have pass it off as flash of light and ask him at a more appropriate time.

"Be good – stay inside." He instructed as he jumped out.

Just before he had closed the door, she could see that the battle that had forced his servants out of their cloaks. They appeared to be out of breath but nonetheless, standing and winning.

Despite her initial shock with their knowledge of Chakra, she was glad that it aided them against the modern artillery of today's age. She stood from her seat so she could watch through the window.

"Wait what are you doing?" Akemi asked in a harsh whisper.

"Maybe I can catch a glimpse of the intruder."

"Don't worry for now. Hisana wouldn't do that. She would do as told since she _can't_ do anything." It was as if Akemi was reminding her that Princess Hisana could not fight unlike the RIC Warrior that Tenten was.

She bit her mouth and slumped back into her seat by Akemi. Although she wanted to help, she knew she could risk blowing her cover if they sensed even the slightest use of Chakra from her. "I know." Tenten grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Speaking of, what happened? Why are you here? What happened to _her?_ " She kept her voice down.

Realistically they both knew they couldn't be heard over the loud shots fired, the occasional wind and quakes or metal squealing; they preferred to stay hushed for extra precaution.

"She's alright… I hope. Halfway through, we were nearly caught… So I let the Princess go while I stalled the servants."

"That's good." Tenten let out a sigh of relief. "Let's keep our mind on the positive. It wouldn't do us good if we didn't believe she made it and I trust that my partner was able to get her out safety. He's stubborn. He wouldn't leave without her."

"Arthur, right?"

"Yes."

"I feel as I know that name. There was a man who came from Konoha who would paint portraits for the Royal family. Kakashi for one."

"Ah…" Tenten could only say. She wasn't sure if that necessarily counted as his cover being blown.

"But I suspect that it's purely coincidental. Beside whom could I even blab too? Rather, I'm grateful you've gotten the Princess out. That's all that matters from now on." The look in her eyes suggested that she was ready to die for Hisana and Tenten could not help but sympathize.

"You're right. It's all that matters." Tenten repeated in a whisper. Akemi patted Tenten's knee, as they mutually understood the depth of what their words implicated.

"How long do you suppose we'd stay here?" Tenten eventually asked. "I'm so used to doing something."

"Well it's a good thing I'm here then." Akemi grinned. "I could teach you all of Hisana's ways."

"Great, more training!" She joked and in the middle of their chaos, they both managed to let out a laugh.

"Sorry ladies to interrupt your fun and games." Kira said as he kicked the door open. "But we're going to have to abandon ship for now. Come on." He offered a hand to which Tenten was nudged by Akemi to take.

She jumped out of her seat to give her his and he led her down the two short steps which were quickly followed by Akemi. "We'll have to take the rest of the way on horses." It wasn't until they stepped out could they see the full damage.

There was at least one horse on the ground – unmoved and lifeless. Kira's attendants towered over a pile of dead bodies. They were out of breath, scarred and at least one of them was deathly injured.

It was a female. One male supported her as she let most of her weight on him. The least she could do was raise a hand over her side where a bullet had rammed through. Instinctively Tenten stepped forward but was once again stopped by Akemi who leapt up instead.

"We should stop the bleeding for now." Akemi insisted as she approached her and ripped a piece of her dress off as a substitute for gauze.

"We can't leave her here." Tenten also said, fearing the worst would be done.

"I don't plan on leaving one of my most trusted retainers behind. I assure you." Kira declared and flashed her a charismatic grin that charmed her. She hated to admit, he matched another realm of charisma that Itachi couldn't reach. If he _were_ to overthrow the Kingdom he could garner a fair amount of support.

He glanced down at her thus breaking the spell of his alluring aura as he teased her. "Don't fall in love with me so quickly Hisana." He smirked as he grabbed onto the reigns of a horse and pulled himself up with ease.

"As if I could." She bickered back yet approached him and reached for his hand. Without so much as a grunt, he lifted her up and settled her onto the horse.

"Everyone else ready?" He asked and turned to see that the group was paired accordingly: one male and the wounded retainer whereas Akemi was paired with the other. "Let's move hastily." He commanded as he slapped the reigns and leaned forward.

Tenten could not help but lean away from him, well, as far as her stomach would permit. She felt guilty and preferred to remain distant.

About an hour into their ride, Kira finally slowed down. "Are you well?"

"I'm sore and hurting." Tenten frowned, massaging her back. "But how is your attendant?"

"Michio." Kira turned to look at the one paired with the injured. "How is Maeko?"

"Not good. She's sweating but cold. I fear the worst."

"She understood the cost of coming." The other attendant spoke out. He was older than the other two and his face was as rough as stone. His faint wrinkles now permanent on his stoic face.

"How can you say that so forwardly without a hint of compassion?" Akemi scolded.

"I've lived in war. Compassion is futile."

"Compassion makes you human."

"Silence. I don't need to be scolded by someone younger than me."

"It's fine, we've nearly arrived." Kira ushered the horse forward. It trotted towards the trees. In the middle of nowhere, Kira jumped off and headed towards his attendants.

He helped Maeko down, dismissing that his clothes were now dowsed in blood. Tenten readied herself to go down but the moment she started to shuffle off, her stomach made it practically impossible without help.

All could do was watch. Michio and Akemi joined Kira to make Maeko as comfortable as possible. "Botan can you sense their presence?" Kira asked the oldest in their group. His hands were preoccupied trying to keep Maeko alive. It glowed a faint green as it hovered over Maeko.

"What is it that you're-"

"Don't act so coy." Kira stopped Tenten from talking further. "You're Itachi's wife. How could you not know chakra?"

"He never liked to talk about the specifics of battle with me besides, we all grew up knowing it was a wives tale!" Tenten responded harshly and was confident to do so as she remembered it being mentioned in the Princess' journal.

"That is true. Itachi preferred to keep Hisana pure." Akemi supported.

" _Pure_." Kira repeated mockingly. "Anyways. Not so. The Wanatabe clan has passed this trademark secret for generations. That's why we have such a strong army and a consistent ability to train the king's guard."

Tenten frowned. She didn't like the sound of how much influence the clan had nor did she like the feeling that there was something deeper tied to his words. "What are we waiting for?" Tenten asked.

"They've arrived." Botan answered with his announcement. It was two birds that had arrived first – both led a young girl from the shadows and onto the scene.

The bigger bird approached Kira and disappeared in a puff of smoke while the smaller one circled frantically over the injured. The young one did not waste time as she threw herself onto the ground and had also joined in healing Maeko.

"Mao." Kira relaxed as he moved aside for her to do her work. "I'm relieved to see that you've made it."

"You're half a mile from the intended destination." She scolded.

"Well, we didn't expect them to attack so early."

"Who were they?"

"Niigata." Kira, Michio and Botan said in unison. Tenten recognized them to be a smaller clan but she also knew of their resources and ability to make artillery. It made sense in a way. They most likely hadn't suspected the Wanatabe clan to be practising something otherworldly therefore successfully countering the ambush.

"Not that you actually know the political families of our country."

"Humph. Actually I do. Father is teaching me." She retorted.

"The old man finally coming around to teaching you about the _outside_ world?" Kira teased. Tenten could see the faint fluster of blush around her cheeks. "Where is he?"

"He's coming."

"He's late."

"He's old."

"I'm not that old." Finally, a big burly man came panting from the woods. "This damn change of plans. Not sure if I like it." His voice sounded extremely familiar.

"That's cause your bones can't keep up. You're old." Kira said as he stood up.

"You damn brat. At least have some respect." It was only when he stepped into the light did Tenten recognized his face. Albeit hidden behind his thick beard it was no doubt "Jouano." Kira greeted.

"I didn't say I was _not_ glad to see you." Kira defended and patted the grumbling man on the back. Tenten froze with shock. She was unsure of what to say, of how to act. Would he sense that it was her?

"She stable enough?" Jouano asked as he folded his arms over his chest.

"I believe so." His daughter responded.

"Your daughter is so talented. I'm surprised that someone like you who doesn't have an inch of chakra in them can give birth to someone like her."

"Thank my wife." Jouano grumbled.

"She'll need blood." Mao interrupted their bickering.

"Take mine." Michio volunteered fervently. He lifted his hand from Maeko's shoulder to unravel the clothing from his arm.

"Do you match?"

"We do. We're twins."

"Alright." Mao said, pulling a needle from her satchel and poked his vein. As he began to bleed, she started to manoeuvre a thread of green chakra to take hold of his blood. With it she guided it into Maeko.

"I don't like the look of this." Jouano said. "We're open out here and if anything happens to Mao, you're a dead man."

"I won't let anything happen to her." Kira promised.

"Anyways, you got hold of the Princess?" Jouano asked and followed Kira's gaze towards Tenten. She nearly lost breath as they shared eye contact. "Princess." Jouano bowed. "I'm Jouano."

"H-hello." She stuttered, worried that he would recognize her voice. "Of which house do you come from?" She asked innocently. "I'm thankful for the work you're doing." She quickly added as to not draw suspicion – if he had any reason to be suspicious.

"I no longer serve any households if you are referring to that." His smile was faint but there. "I used to… I was a sailor under Lord Hamasaki."

"You've never told me this." Kira commented.

"There was no reason to go into the tale of my past."

"How did you end up in a village then?" Kira asked.

"Ah." Jouano scratched his nose. "Long story short: ship wreak. We were actually on the way to your castle." He gestured towards Hisana. "The Uchiha's had visited our household and were impressed with the service of a particular family. I was to escort them along with a various amount of gifts."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Tenten's voice's deepened as she felt her throat tighten. "Were there any other survivors?"

Her question drew out an unwelcomed memory and by his face, it was clear. "Yes." He murmured. "One little girl."

"Tenten right?" Mao added. By her confidence, it seemed that Jouano talked about Tenten a lot.

"Yes." He whispered.

"What happened to her?" Tenten asked. It was odd. She knew the answer to all her questions but perhaps she was just desperate to hear someone else know of her existence and the life she didn't know she had until just a few weeks ago.

"Ah." He scratched his nose again. "She had to go on a journey of self discovery. Frankly, I'm not sure what happened after but I pray for her every day."

Tenten felt the sting against her throat from her attempt to hide a cry. "I'm sure she's grateful for everything you did."

"Hmm, I feel like I should be the one to say that." Jouano shrugged. "If it hadn't been her, I don't think I would have found the will to keep going." No one bothered to continue the conversation as those capable went on to stay on watch until Maeko reached stability.

With Michio feeling faint, he was partnered with Akemi while Botan kept Maeko safe.

"We'll see you at the location." Kira nodded.

"Yes and there better be no more changes to the plan." Jouano said.

"You know I can't promise that."

"Humph." Jouano muttered.

"Goodbye Jouano. Stay safe Mao. I'm certain we shall cross paths again!" Tenten said as she waved her hand. It seemed her kind words warmed the old man as he offered a smile back. Mao looked less embarrassed by her father's unreasonable demands.

"You _will_ be seeing them again." Kira informed her when they were away from their sight. "Mao will be your doctor throughout your childbirth." At the mention of those words, Tenten laid a hand on her swollen belly.

"Yeah right." She thought but kept quiet throughout the whole ride.

123

"Neji."

"Uncle." He responded back with grimace. Despite his shrivelled apparel, his words were strong and unhindered by the weakness of his physical state.

"You know I don't like seeing you behind bars but what can I do when you're constantly trying to leave and go off on some futile mission to save a girl who barely qualified for the RIC?" They were deep within the underground area of the castle. It was dimly lit. It reeked of mould, of stagnant water and the faint traces of urine.

Indeed, Neji was behind bars – stripped of his fine linens and had nothing to wield. The same stone bricks were the only view his eyes could rest on.

"Barely qualified?" Neji asked as he gritted his teeth. "Don't treat us like a joke. She's worked hard and has grown to be immeasurably valuable to us!"

The king scoffed. "Immeasurably valuable? What's gotten into you Neji? Since when did a woman, who skipped through all the training, suddenly become valuable? Besides she's from the Kumogakuran Kingdom. We'd be giving her back anyways."

"She deserves to be in Konoha!"

"Don't make me bring out Danzo." Hiashi finally bit back with a spark in his words.

"Bring him. I don't give a fuck."

"Neji! Language. You are of a noble bloodline. Behave yourself."

"I've always been behaved! I've always been your sick puppet to control."

"Do you really think that?" There was a heated pause between the two of them. "Do you really think that I just see you as a puppet to control?!" He raised his voice in anger and grabbed the bars out of response. "Do you really think I would waste my time pouring resources into you if I just treated you as a puppet? Do you think I would disrespect my brother like that?" He was now shouting. "I know we've never gotten along well but believe me. I have treated you as I would to my own son.

"I was grooming you for kingship. I was grooming you for the harsh realities of what you must go through when the Kingdom falls in your hands. Ponder on that for once instead of that average looking girl that's gotten you locked in her charm!"

Once his words were gone, he was left breathless and panting. He paused to compose himself before turning on his heel to leave Neji behind. "By the time I get back here, you better be more presentable once the Princess appears." And with those final words, he left Neji in the dimly lit room to be suffocated with his thoughts.

123

"Ana…His…Hisana." The voice coddled her out of her sleep and when her memory caught up to her thoughts, she was jolted awake. A steady hand balanced her before she could fall off. "We're here now."

"I need a massage." She mumbled and allowed him to help her off the horse.

"You'd have to wait for Mao. I don't have the most smoothest hands." He teased her with a smirk. Tenten fought against a blush and rolled her eyes instead. It was bad enough that she wasn't exposed to that many males until her recent age and now here she was – acting as an ex-lover to a man 5 years older and more experienced.

"Since when did you learn to roll your eyes?" He asked.

"There are a lot of things that changed about me Kira and you've changed too." Tenten hoped he did. After all, who _doesn't_ change in the span of nearly 10 years?

"Hm," He seemed to consider. "Yes, apparently I joke a lot more now."

"You do!" Tenten agreed adamantly. He acted so differently than when she first saw him.

"That's because _his wife_ _taught_ him how to joke." Botan glared, disliking how flirtatious his master had become in the wake of his first love. Tenten was incredibly thankful that Botan had intervened as she directed her attention elsewhere.

Her eyes wandered about to Maeko who was now conscious. She leaned against her brother but nonetheless was able to carry a share of her own weight. When their eyes met, Tenten immediately looked elsewhere.

"Princess." Akemi greeted and got extremely close to her. "How is the child?"

"Restless." She smiled softly.

"Kira's brought you to the house that your father has gifted the both of you when you two _were_ engaged." Akemi said in a low voice catching Tenten off guard. "Act faint. He will become suspicious if you do not recognize the place."

"I'm so glad you're here." Tenten said with a sigh.

"We should head inside. I think Hisana is feeling faint from the ride."

"Ah, certainly." Kira said quickly and cut his conversation with Botan short. The rest of the way was walked on foot as the thick hedges and trees made it hard to ride. Even Botan who was the tallest in the group felt that he had to constantly lower his back just to traverse through.

Eventually as the foliage parted, Tenten feigned her glee. "I can't believe it's still standing after all these years."

"I couldn't tarnish the gift from your father. Despite our houses not being joined as planned, I did not have the heart to abandon it. We had a fair amount of memories in here after all…" He turned to her with a soft expression that no doubt meant to draw her into a spiral of memories.

It hurt her heart and all she could do was look away in shame. She succumbed under her fatigue and allowed Akemi to pamper her as they entered. The architecture and furniture belonged to a whole other continent all together. In a way, it was endearing to see Lord Yagami pour so much into this present and it was no light display of his wealth.

"Forgive me. I've maintained the house but hadn't bothered to care much about the garden. In the end it worked out for the best. It will conceal our presence." He assured.

"Well, we shall depart." Akemi bowed slightly, grasping Tenten by her waist and leading her up the stairs. Tenten moved slowly, making sure to stumble a few times to convince the others how "weak" she was feeling.

"Botan, go help the Princess." Kira commanded, falling for Tenten's act.

"There is no need." Tenten insisted. "I'm sure there are more important matters to attend to. Thank you."

"I've got her. It's alright." Akemi added and continued to guide Tenten down the hallway. They entered into the room at the end of the hall. Once they were inside, Tenten relaxed ands watched Akemi set the bath in the boudoir.

While she was doing so, Tenten began to unlace her corset and step away from her clads of fabric now scattered on the floor. She stepped away from the fabric and examined herself in the mirror.

It did little to smoothen her nerves but the euphoria she felt from the charms of Kira was quickly dispelled like a splash of cold water. It reminded her that she, _Tenten_ , had no rights to claim such attention. She was in a mask, a mask that stretched farther than her face but covered all the flaws of her once bruised skin.

In truth, she was frightened. Frightened that she would loose herself in this façade much like she had amongst all the identities that were handed to her without consent.

"This is a mission." She tried to convince herself. She _had_ a choice in this. These are duties with the title handed to her.

She frowned and ran her hand over the curve of her stomach and traced her finger along the dried blood that Hisana had marked earlier. Once it was washed away, it would no longer remind her that this was all a lie.

She turned around and swept her dark brown hair, a shade darker than her own, over one shoulder to see the mark that Sai had placed fade. She ran her dainty hand over it and could barely feel the bumps anymore.

"Princess." Tenten looked up in response. Akemi noticed the sorrow subtly laid before the pair of eyes that belonged to the woman she served. "You know what." Akemi said softly as she approached the Hisana's clone. "Maybe when it's just us two ladies, I can call you by your name." Her sentence came out low in caution of others listening.

Tenten's eyes widened as a smile burst from how grateful she was beyond words. "We can't." She responded with difficulty and forced a smile through the cracks. "Now." She said, walking past Akemi to the bathroom. "Let's get all this dirt off. It's not becoming of a Princess." She whispered, making sure that her back was faced against Akemi as she dunked her whole body into the warm water.

The sounds of gurgling water loudly intruded her thoughts and reminded her of the time she spent with Lady Esther in the sacred cave. Comfort cradled the pain away from her sore body. She stayed there for as long as her lungs could bear until she resurfaced with a big inhale.

Akemi was waiting for her with a rag in her hand and it was clear that she was concerned. "You should tell me all about Hisana…" Tenten said meekly.

Akemi did not answer right away. "Maybe we can hold that off for now. We have plenty of time later. Instead why don't I get to know _you_?" The old servant whispered.

Tenten told her softly. Saying her actual name felt odd. For she knew that the pair of lips she now owned wouldn't have known otherwise.

"That's a beautiful name." Akemi grinned as she ran her soapy hand along Tenten's hair. "It's got a lovely ring to it. Tell me, what did Tenten do?"

"She did a fair amount actually. I only recently discovered this."

"Oh?" Akemi asked as she massaged Tenten's scalp. "What's the story?"

"Well…"

123

"Neji." The strict call of his uncle was clearly heard but Neji chose not to respond as he continued on with his sit-ups. "Neji."

"I'm here. Don't wear it out." He said without so much of a grunt.

"When I'm speaking to you I require your undivided attention."

With a final grunt, Neji sat up and rested his arm along his knees. His head was turned towards his uncle but he chose to keep his eyes rested on his captor's feet.

"Princess Hisana has finally arrived and I'm hoping you can be accommodating. Of course, if you'd rather keep up your act, I can say that you've faced some dilemmas and are caught up on your mission."

"No. I can come up."

"You'll behave?"

"Yes uncle."

"Well." The King paused. "I can't take away the seal until you've proved much."

"As expected."

"And Hirishio will be looking after you."

Neji didn't respond much to that. Although his face remained unmoved, he was displeased. Hirishio was an old butler that had served faithfully to the Hyuuga clan. He was strict, conservative and had disciplined Neji after his defiance to the throne. In short, he would be babysat.

"Young Master." The old butler greeted as he stepped out from behind the King.

"Hirishio." Neji greeted as he stood. "It's been a long time since I've seen you."

"Hanabi would be pleased to know that she's getting a break from my teachings." He said with a polite smile and waited for the King's signal before he unlocked the gate.

"How goes your family?" Neji asked.

"They are well. My girls will be attending the other Uchiha women who have made their stay here."

"That's good and your wife?"

"She will be attending Princess Hisana." There was a loud click when the large metallic key turned. The greyed hair elder pulled the heavy bars open with a single sweep.

"Pleased to see me?"

"Well it has been a _long_ time since the incident with Princess Hinata. I missed an excuse to see you." He quipped as Neji walked out.

"Ha." Neji let out a soft chuckle. "I hope you're not disappointed."

"Aside from defiling the King's command for your stay, I would say you've done well since I've last disciplined you."

"I'm glad." Neji responded with a faint smile before deflating his expression in sight of his uncle.

"I trust that you'll do well with him Hirishio." Hiashi said as he looked away from Neji to the older man.

"Of course your majesty." After Hirishio's response, Hiashi made no efforts to prolong their interaction and left.

"Young Master." Hirishio said once a loud thump signalled the door sealing to a close. "You've changed quite a bit."

"For the better I hope."

"If you were anyone else, I would agree."

Again, Neji let out a scoff before leading them up into the sunlight that burned his eyes. There was a shared aura of shock from all the servants who had caught sight of him. No doubt, he looked incredibly untidy and was worst off than before.

And he most likely stunk.

"Hirishio." Neji found himself wanting to be entertained. "How bad do I smell?"

The older man's thick eyebrows rose in surprise thus revealing his green pupils through his narrow shaped eyes. "On what scale?"

"Hmm." Neji pondered. "Let's make the scale out of 10."

"12." Hirishio responded on cue.

"Ha!" Neji chuckled. "We ought to hurry then. We wouldn't to _offend_ royalty. Has the bath been prepared?"

"Ah, yes." Hirishio responded with slight discomfort and continued to follow Neji into his room. Once they were both inside, Neji stood in the center and raised his arms as he waited for Hirishio to unclothe him. He did little to protest the independence that he had lost – knowing that it would just stall the inevitable.

Hirishio was glad of course but he could not help but become concerned and disturbed by Neji's easy compliance. He continued to observe his master strictly, to see if there would be a crack in his sudden eccentric act. Neji noticed.

"I'm fine if that's what you're wondering."

"Pardon my informality but I don't believe you." Neji didn't respond to his observation but kept on walking into the bath. "No one would be fine after spending a near 3 weeks in there." He insisted.

"What do you suppose I should do? Pretend that Tenten is alright and move on?"

"Ah, so this is about a girl."

Neji grumbled. "She's one part of it."

"One part?" Hirishio asked and picked up a soapy rag. He raised Neji arm and began to scrub the dirt from it. "What are the other parts?"

"Uncle."

"I don't think so."

"The King then. Maybe he wouldn't be such an ass if he weren't the King."

"You know the words you tell me could be used against you."

"I know."

"And?"

"I don't care. What's Uncle going to do? Kill me? Send me back to prison? Good."

"If she were any other girl, I don't think you'd be acting this irrationally." Neji gritted his teeth as Hirishio laid down the truth. "You're not a saint. You're a legalist. Whatever benefits the Kingdom and its people is what matter – it is the blood of the RIC. She should know and you should as well, if not stronger because of your title as Duke.

"You know the sacrifices that must come about for the sake of the Kingdom and it's people. Besides as RIC, you cannot engage in anything romantic unless you were to leave and if that were so, you cannot marry anyone aside from royalty." Neji didn't respond but sunk deeper into the tub as he ignored Hirishio's scolding.

All of which he already knew. He didn't need a reminding.

"I shall leave you to your thoughts." Hirishio said once he finished scrubbing Neji down. "I will retrieve you an hour before dinner." Hirioshi didn't expect a response nor did he receive one before he excused himself. Thus leaving Neji in his thoughts.

"Love is the bane of honour, the death of duty." The words came spiralling in his mind.

Naruto and Hinata.

"Love is the bane of honour, the death of duty."

Yulie and Esther.

"Love is the bane of honour, the death of duty."

Tenten.

No. That would mean he was admitting that he loved her.

No. He barely knew the girl _that_ well.

She was a _slave._ She _was_ a slave.

She was.

The words haunted him. It was like the time his father died. His father no longer _is_ but _was_ and he feared that Tenten shared the same fate.

"It was a sacrifice for the Kingdom and it's people."

He understood. He didn't understand back then but now he did. Much like how his own father knew that he would eventually give his life up for the Kingdom. And certainly, he would expect the same of his son.

Did Neji like it?

No.

So what could he do?

What did Naruto do?

Naruto defiled the King by secretly pursuing Hinata. He also understood that it was against his duties yet had done so. When the time seemed appropriate to let go, he did. Hinata just so happened to come back into his arms.

He supposed he could ask Elder Yulie what he did. Neji figured that he was the best consult but even then, he was a boat ride away. If he were to write a letter, no doubt Hirishio would read it.

Feeling defeated Neji sunk back into the water, hoping that its mighty echoes would sooth his anxious thoughts.

1

He was awakened by the stern and grainy voice worn over the many years of living. When Neji had wakened, the water was far from tepid and his hands had wrinkled severly.

He stood and allowed Hirishio to wipe him off, dress him, and comb his hair. When that was done, Hirishio escorted him to the dining hall. It had been years since he had partaken in such an etiquette atmosphere. Neji had to admit that he missed the pleasantries, the fresh flowers, and the bright and complex décor along with the tall windows. Rather than the sun pouring its magnificent rays, the sky was at twilight. It was only then that he realized he missed the sun and it's warmth.

His appearance silenced the chatters of the room. Naruto and Lee were there along the wall to watch over them. Hinata was conversing with Princess Hisana. King Hiashi was having a short exchange with Sai. Hanabi remained quiet and seated properly. Her eyes suggested a spark and interest unlike all the other dinners she's attend while the rest of the Uchiha women exhaustingly kept up their smiling faces.

Neji approached his Uncle with a bow. "Your Imperial Majesty, Emperor of Konohagakure." He then made his presence known to both his cousins with a peck on their cheeks and another bow for Princess Hisana.

"Your Royal Highness, Princess of Kumogakure." When he lifted his head, he was pleased that he hadn't forgotten all the jargons tied to their grand exchanges.

"Has everyone arrived?" King Hiashi asked, garnering a nod from Hirishio. "Then, let us begin." He ushered forth and had accepted his seat first. Once he was properly sat and tucked in, the rest followed suit – allowing the assistance of the servants who had been there.

They continued their conversations in light banter as the servants came streaming in with plates of dishes. The seated guests laid no hands on the large pots of food but rather, declined or accepted the spoonful offered from each person in charge of a dish.

Once the first round had been served, the dishes were placed in the center while the servants left or occupied the walls as they waited for further commands.

"I shall raise a toast of honour and remembrance." King Hiashi declared as he raised his cup. The others followed without hesitation. "May the gods allow peace to the Uchiha Clan and to those who fought for it's survivors."

There was an collected clanging of glasses touching before everyone finished with a sip of their drink. After the toast, Princess Hisana took her first bite as the guest of honour before the others proceeded to eat.

Eventually the dining table began to fill with pointless conversations. It was clear that no one wanted to discuss the heavier (yet pressing) matters.

Neji, who found that idle talk was pointless, remained silent. Yet despite his decision, his eyes and ears were engaged with the sights and sounds of the room. He had noticed that despite Princess Hisana's polite responses, her eyes were saddened and tired.

She didn't look as beautiful as all the other times he had seen her nor did he spot _her_ maid wandering close by. He wondered what that old woman's name was. He paused.

Never in his lifetime had he even considered servant's names before. He used to envy the rest of his team who could casually engage in conversation with those below them. Neji never bothered because he felt that he would tarnish his noble title.

Aside from his RIC title, his status as a Duke made that easily attainable. The only one's he bothered learning were Hirishio, Misaki (who later betrayed him), and Tenten for background check.

"Where's your maidservant Princess?" Neji found himself asking and Princess Hinata paused her talk with Princess Hisana, knowing full well that he was addressing the latter.

Her prolonged and gaped mouth broke her perfect show of etiquette. "I-" She stuttered before looking away from Neji. "She had sacrificed her freedom for mine." She said softly.

Carefully she lowered her eating utensils neatly by her mostly untouched plate.

"What was her name?" Neji asked – his eyes flashed with compassion.

"Akemi." She responded without skipping a beat.

The room had slowed as they were now left with the weight of conversation introduced by Neji. One female Uchiha sitting to the right of Princess Hisana placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

The two exchanged a glance that brought about comfort: a comfort and an understanding that transcended words. "There was also another woman who had helped. Her face was a splitting image of who I once was yet I was not able to catch her name…" She said and after a second, mustered the courage to gaze back upon Neji who was now surprised. "Perhaps you know her name?"

Neji first glanced at Sai whom he had assumed would have told her at least but the pale skinned spy simply went on to eat his meal as if the tension in the room was not found. Sai's eyes remained on his plate and although Neji felt his anger bubbling up, he averted it by looking back at Princess Hisana.

"Her name was Tenten." Sai finally spoke before Neji had.

Princess Hinata flinched at the realization and she quickly blinked her eyes to soothe their stinging. Naruto and Lee both winced and the King spared a long frown. It was clear the route of conversation displeased him but he was not surprised by its occurrence either. At best he offered a sigh.

"Where is she then?" Hanabi asked. Her blunt and innocent question seemed to break the gloom and instead encouraged sympathy.

"Hanabi." Her father scolded softly but the young one only spared him a glance before her eyes demanded the answer.

"She's back in Kumogakure." Princess Hisana explained gently.

"Then when is she coming back?" The young one's prying question only invoked more sympathy. Princess Hisana felt no strength to answer and out of guilt, she averted the young girl's gaze.

Hanabi, who was young yet observant, knew instantly what that meant. So she looked elsewhere for her answer. "Neji-nii-san's longest mission was a year!" She rationalized and hoped to spark an answer. "The longest mission that any recorded RIC had to do was Masanori Hyuuga for 45 years, 7 months, 12 days and 3 hours. Mainly because he was a spy." She recited confidently from the lessons that Hirishio taught her.

"So." She pried again. "How long until Tenten comes back?"

"Hanabi enough." Her father eventually interjected. "That is classified information for RIC members _only_."

"B-but it's in the textbook."

"Yes and it was revealed only 50 years after Sir Masanori's died."

Hanabi's fought against a pout knowing that it wasn't proper for a lady her age especially in front of other guests. Yet her little fists quivered in her lap. "Do I have to wait for her to die before I know too?" She muttered. Although she intended for her words not to be heard, she still hadn't controlled the quickness of her tongue.

For those who were far from her, they hadn't heard. They made no reaction to it. But from the reaction from those around Hanabi – dread was on their faces.

"Hanabi. It seems that you'd like to be excused. I grant you permission to do so." King Hiashi announced.

Hanabi didn't respond but complied with the actions and surrendered to Hirishio's eldest daughter who proceeded to escort her out. Once she was gone, the King apologized for her stead.

"It's alright." Princess Hisana answered. "Her curious attitude is a reflection of my younger self."

"Then I pray to the gods that she would be as elegant as you are." King Hiashi said and managed to draw out a chuckle from those who believed his words to be a flattering joke.

Aside from Hinata and Neji knowing that he meant much to his words, they were grateful for some sort of relief. Neji reverted back into his silent self, knowing that the questions he desired to ask would be known by Sai but couldn't be said in the other's company.

As long as he kept up his polite act Neji knew he would survive the night until the late night talks where they'd be able to discuss freely. In the meantime he would have to bear the light conversations with his uncle.

The aching hour soon passed and once everyone finished with desert, the women were separated into the parlour while the men headed off to the drawing room.

It had a darker aesthetic than the golden pastels of the parlour. It's deep mahogany wood, deep blues and velvet reds were splashed across the room. Cigars were neatly boxed on the tables, accessible to those welcomed into the room. Plaques of animal heads were assembled on the wall with the stoned fireplace while a pool table stood a few meters in front of it.

Neji sat across from his Uncle while Sai opted to lean against the wall. Naruto and Lee joined as well but knew that it is not proper for them to sit. Hirishio stood near the entrance and gave them the privacy needed for their conversations.

"Did you want one?" King Hiashi asked as he pulled a thick cigar from his box. "These were imported from the western countries." He mentioned as he snipped the end of it.

"No thank you." Neji declined but poured himself a shot of whiskey. "Did you want some?"

"I will." Hiashi responded after a puff of smoke. Neji went onto pour another glass before glancing at Sai.

"Did you want a glass?"

Sai nodded.

"And you lot there?" He turned over his shoulder to face Naruto and Lee.

"I decline."

"No thank you." Both Naruto and Lee said.

"So what were the details of the mission?" Neji asked, extending both his arms to hand the glasses of iced whiskey to both Sai and Hiashi. "Have you been debriefed yet?" He asked Naruto.

"Not yet."

"Sai?"

"Mission went accordingly." Sai started and took a sip of his drink. "Throughout the travel I went on to collect a record of houses present at the event. The more prominent lords seemed fairly confident and chose not to cover their identity. There were many insignificant houses present also.

"I've made enough copies to be given to King Kakashi, to RIC and to your majesty." Sai didn't need to mention his name. It was known that he would go on to investigate if those houses had ties to the annihilation of the Uchiha clan itself. "I'll hand the reports in the morning."

"And what of Akemi?" Neji asked garnering a surprise from Sai.

"She was part of the causalities. An unfortunate loss."

"And Tenten?"

Sai let out a long sigh before he responded. "She went to disguise herself as Hisana using one of my Hensojutsu seals. She has taken the place of Hisana therefore whatever house has claimed bid on her will have her in their possession."

"And when is she to leave?"

Sai took a sip of whiskey and took his time in responding. "It will be according to her plans. Totally dependant on her skills and deduction." Neji frowned.

"How long do you suppose this act would last?" Lee asked. The slight fluctuation signalled his discomfort and anxiety. "Certainly she wouldn't be handed off to the King as the _real_ Hisana."

"You're right." Sai said. "When the time for Hisana's birth comes about, Tenten will also give birth except it will appear as a complication and she will appear to be dead."

"What do you mean by that?" Lee's voice wavered as he let out the question hastily before Neji could. He knew that his friend's words would be far less gentle than his deliverance.

"Her body will freeze for 12 hours and once that is over, she is free to escape."

" _If_ she can." Naruto muttered.

Neji placed his empty glass back onto the side table. He ran his shaking hands over his face to massage his temples and over his eyes. "I have to go."

"You know you can't." King Hiashi's deep voice announced as he took another burning swig of alcohol. Yet Neji stood. "Don't make me do it Neji."

"Have more faith in her. She's the daughter of someone from the Eastern Forest, she has half of her chakra unsealed and she has gone through rigorous training to survive in the forest." Sai said, hoping to reason with Neji. "It would be impossible to find her. Have you ever thought that she doesn't need any rescuing?"

A pause.

"Don't make this hard on yourself. Don't defile the King. You know you can't leave." Sai eventually said.

Neji felt defeated. He sat back down and could not help but scratch his forehead where the seal that has forced his submission lay dormant until command. Despite it's lack of glow he could feel the numbness of his emotions sink back in and the light in his eyes fade away.

In truth, he was no better than Tenten. He too was a pawn. Albeit one with more authority, he was nothing but an object for the sake of his King and the people of the Kingdom.

And with that knowledge, he surrendered.

123456

Last chapter is next chapter!


	10. Chapter Nine: Where I Belong

"It's time Hisana, you're going into labour!"

Women, one young and one old announced the news after the contraptions had come 6 minutes of one another. At similar times, those exact words echoed towards the _Kori to Hi_ Sea that separated both Konohagakure and Kumogakure.

Both ladies with the same face and name were escorted to the rooms assigned for the delivery of their child. Both were surrounded by friends that were once strangers and in countries not their own.

"This hurts, this really hurts!" They would say in repetition during the entire labour that lasted over 14 hours before the delivery began.

When the time came to push, screams of anguish, of frustration and faintly hushed words came breathlessly from the soon to be mothers.

"I-I wish Akemi was with me." Hisana managed to say faintly through her laboured breathing.

"I am here Princess." The old maidservant said as she cradled the hand of the woman she held onto. Also known as Hisana by those around her.

"I can't do this anymore!" She responded to Akemi.

"I don't want to be here, I want to go home. I want to be with my loved ones."

She cried out ignoring the soft and gentle hushing of those supported her.

"Don't give up Princess. I know it's hard without Itachi, I know it may seem like you want to die but please Princess, your country needs you."

Words clattered and clashed between one another. Commands and directions were ordered. Others encouraged while those who were not allowed in the room paced outside frantically.

In this specific moment of time, it seemed that the universe pulled a twofaced mirror from the depths of _Kori to Hi_ Sea to reflect these two women. Yet the cracks that had been there from the start could no longer support the weight of the force being pressed against it.

So as the hours passed, the cracks grew and grew until the pieces fell into the sea.

One room let out sighs of relief, exhausted yet joyful gasps while the cries of the newborn penetrated into the air. The other remained silent from shock, as the stillborn child made no cry for victory or as the mother's consciousness began to slip away.

"Congratulations, it's a boy!" The previous palace doctor declared before handing the restless babe into the arms of her trusted assistant to be washed off.

"It was a boy." Akemi whispered in defeat before she stepped aside to give space for the young doctor. She watched anxiously as Mao began to do chest compressions on the unmoved princess.

Akemi kept her arms cradled around the purple skinned babe. Her lips quivered before she burst into tears.

"May I see him?" The princess asked with all the strength she could muster. Her hair absorbed the sweat from her body and curled against her forehead and neck. Despite her smell, her cousin-in-law assisted her to sit up before she could accept the cooing little boy. "He's beautiful." She whispered to her child and trailed her finger along his smooth skin.

"Itachi would be so proud."

"Thank you Tsunade."

"Time of death 5:17pm." Mao declared before she stepped out of the room to regurgitate the information to those who were now waiting by the foot of the stairs. Their pacing stopped, their expression were mixed. Some shocked, some in disbelief, some in anger while others in utter sadness.

Mao made sure she kept her words simple as she informed them of every single detail in the course of the delivery.

"How could this happen?"

"Why?"

"What now?"

When the questions arose, she answered them adequately and offered her theories on how it came to be. Her tone was formal, her voice was strong but her face was drained of energy.

"Everything went accordingly!" Tsunade announced loudly when she stepped in the parlour where familiar and friendly faces gathered. There was a collection of similar expressions: happiness, relief, joy and excitement.

"What's the gender?" Princess Hinata asked as she clasped her hands in glee.

"It's a boy!" Sakura announced when she stepped into view.

"Can we see?" Hanabi asked.

"Not yet little one." Tsunade responded. "Let's give them their space to recover and we'll let you know when you can visit. In the mean time, I'll be monitoring her."

So it began. While one crowd rejoiced, the other began to prepare for a funeral.

Last Chapter

Chapter Nine: Where I Belong

Neji stood by the window and gazed outside while his friends and family continued on their fast-paced conversations over the recent news. He had needed to retreat from the excitement, even just for a few seconds to collect his thoughts.

"I can't believe it's done." Lee caught his attention as he invited himself into Neji's personal space – a privilege that Lee constantly celebrated as the best friend. "I wonder how Tenten is doing." He mentioned, knowing that Neji was thinking of such.

Neji glanced at his closest friend before he joined Lee to observe the incredibly green gardens of the palace. "I wonder too." Neji sighed.

"Do you think she'll make it?" Lee's question came out faint. If it were anyone else, Lee wouldn't have brought up such a personal and fragile topic.

"I have to believe it." He responded before he said in a hushed voice, "Or I might go insane."

"I'm sure we'll see her… one day." Lee said and placed a comforting hand over Neji's shoulder. The two shared a stare, exchanging words of thanks as they offered comfort to one another. "Anyways if you ever want to talk, you know where to find me."

"Thank you Lee." Neji cracked a smile, a rare sight since his imprisonment. Lee didn't respond with words but theatrically raised both his hands and pointed at Neji before he flashed a charismatic wink.

Once Neji finished with his thoughts, he re-joined the conversation that his cousin hosted over possible party ideas.

123

Akemi stepped out of the recently cleaned room that had now turned into a shrine for the dead princess. The bloodied rags were thrown away. The dead princess was now clothed in a new beautiful dress with the underdeveloped babe rested against her chest.

Akemi said no words to her. Felt that she hadn't needed to. Instead she just cried with struggled breaths before letting Kira have his own exchange with the mother and son.

In the mean time, she joined the others in the living room where none felt comfortable introducing a conversation. There were others there such as Mao's mother, Chie, and Kira's own wife, Yugana, and daughter who had made an appearance.

Akemi sat beside Juoano and also allowed herself to drown in the tension of the room. The only one willing to make a sound was the grandfather clock that ticked loudly.

Time passed.

It was an odd and otherworldly feeling that transcended the body during this moment.

 _The world keeps going when you stop._

Time was neutral in the face of human frailty. It faithfully goes on in spite of the many wishes to quicken or slow it down.

Time passed.

The creak of the door, the heavy and slow footsteps of Kira drew the attention of the room towards his way.

"Did anyone else want to say goodbye?" He asked. Although he knew that those who had wanted to go already went while those who did not, would not respond. Yet out of politeness, he asked.

"What do we do now?" Yugana asked meekly.

"We shall arrange for her funeral. I think it would be best that she is buried here. She is in the land of her father and in the house where she spent her final days." Kira said. He sounded defeated. His eyes that was once so bold to gaze upon his listeners now settled on the reddened stone floor. "I know she would have wanted to be buried with her husband and his family but that would be asking for the impossible."

"Of where can we find a coffin befitting for her?" Yugana sounded distressed and looked at the others for suggestions.

"It would take too long if the outsiders were to craft something." Juoano stated. "We villagers can easily craft one, albeit plain, it would be something."

"That would be the best option." Botan agreed with a nod. He always looked disgusted and upset but his lowered eyes suggested that he _did_ spare some sort of compassion towards the late Princess.

"I'll inform my men immediately." Juoano then went on as he released his daughter's hand and allowed her to be comforted by his wife instead. "I also suggest that we gather what we must and bury her within the hour. I'm sure it would raise suspicion if you were away from your father's house for too long." He informed and listened to Kira's short response before leaving.

"You're right Juoano. Thank you." Kira said and he pulled himself from the wall where he leaned to sit beside his wife. His daughter, who was asleep at her mother's lap, groggily shifted and acknowledged her father with a soft smile before retreating back into her sleep.

"Uhm, my lord." Akemi eventually said and broke the long silence between the last words spoken and now. Kira looked up and his eyes widened for a moment as his thoughts brought him back to the matters at hand.

"By the gods, yes Akemi? I apologize. Here I was wallowing over my grief when I hadn't even considered what you are feeling. You've known Hisana since she was born correct?"

"I did." Her words came out quiet. The swollen and dark bags underneath her eyes dragged her pupils downwards towards the floor.

"I'm surprised that you aren't as broken as I expected you to be."

"Forgive me my lord, it's just that… I don't want to sound so morbid but since the massacre of the Uchiha clan I feared that the same would happen to the Princess. In a small way, I'm not surprised. She was under so much stress, malnourished and physically exhausted for the majority of her pregnancy. We cried a lot _that_ day, the day they all died, so much so that I'm convinced that the pool that contained my tears are now dried upon her passing…

"You know. I was selfish in many ways. After her family died she also wanted to follow suite. At first I told her that Itachi wouldn't want it after he fought so hard to keep us safe. But as time progressed, I slowly believed that death would be far better than living… Despite my beliefs, I selfishly insisted that she fight for survival because-" She paused and tried again.

"Because-" But her sentence failed her. Her stoic expression broke under the cracks of her heavy heart.

"Because I didn't want to follow her in death!" She managed to say through her wails that influenced the rest to join her sobbing. "S-she's the only reason to my living… and i-if she were gone, I too would have followed her to death! Except I was too scared then but now, I fear that I am no longer scared of death."

"It isn't your fault." Yugana assured her through her own tears. "I can't even imagine the weight of your emotions right now but please do not end your life Akemi. This day cannot handle any more deaths nor would this universe benefit with you gone."

"She is right." Kira agreed. His jaw clenched and released as he fought against his abundantly mixed emotions threating to break through. "I'm sure my household would be willing to take you."

"A-actually." Akemi responded after she finished wiping her tears and calming her hiccups. "I thought about it and I would like to join your village." She turned to face Mao and Chie. They looked surprised by her request. "I thought about how Juoano said goodbye to his past and accepted his new way of living with you. I was wondering if I could do the same… i-if that's alright with you." Her eyes jumped from Chie to Kira.

"I certainly do not have any objections." Kira said.

"And I'm sure it isn't a problem. We will be glad to have you." Chie assured and reached out to place a hand on Akemi.

"Thank you." Again, the room went back into silence. In the mean time, everyone enjoyed the small comfort of having others near them. However, when the time came, Akemi went on to make tea and food while they waited for Juoano's return.

Upon his arrival, he informed them that they should gather in the backyard where the wild flowers were now tamed since the arrival of Princess Hisana. Kira was the one who carried the dead Princess and it was his wife who cradled the dead child to the backyard where many were assembled.

By the crowd's appearance, it was clear they came from Juoano's village. Their darkened skin, long and matted hair along with their yukata's made that evident. Although they spoke no shared language with Kira's attendants, they shared their hearts and grieved.

As they walked through the crowd that had now gathered, Kira was amazed by the beautiful displays of fireballs now floating in the air to aid their sight as the sun began to set. The outsiders sung their song dedicated to the dead in loud unison and watched Kira and Yugana place Hisana's body into the modest coffin along with her child.

Akemi who was the closest to Hisana stayed close by and watched them seal the coffin before they had lowered Hisana into the ground.

Those who could control earth piled the dirt onto the wooden structure.

For those who could stay remained while those who had to leave left. Although Kira would have liked to stay, the soft pallets of rain began to shower down and he went on to escort his wife and daughter back inside with haste.

His attendants followed with Juoano who felt it fitting to bid them farewell.

"Daddy, they're dancing!" His daughter made the observation from pressing her face against the glass to see the dimming scene before her.

"Yes, we dance as an offering to the gods." Juoano explained. "Our mythology dates back to the belief that if it does not rain when a person has died, the gods are holding their emotion back for the sake of the world. So we, as a people, encourage them to cry through our chanting and dancing. Our words declare that we will carry their burden as a community."

"Oh!" The little one gasped when the rain began to catch speed and audacity.

"That's a beautiful story." Yugana whispered.

"Aren't they afraid of the illnesses they might catch?" Kira asked.

"My people accept death as freely as they accept life. They're taught from a young age that death is as necessary and as normal as life. It was a philosophy that helped me heal my emotional wounds after the ship wreak…" He offered half a smile and scratched the back of his head. "I'm not saying we won't help a person recover if they're ill but we believe that it shouldn't necessarily be a _fight_ for life if death beckons."

"Hm." Kira pondered and observed the gathered people who poured their hearts into the dance.

"What were your plans?" Juoano asked. His question drew Kira and Yugana off from their watch.

"Plans for?"

"The day." Juoano went on to clarify. "Clean out the baby room? Go back to your castle?"

"I was thinking we could leave the baby room here." Yugana answered. "It would be good to commemorate Hisana in a way… and we spent so much time planning it, it would be a waste to just scrap it."

"As for the plans for the day, it would be best to-" A loud quake and crackle had burst from the sky and shook the ground. The thunder's sudden appearance scared Kira's daughter. She left the door and ran to her father who lifted her and cradled her in his arms. "I think it would be best to head home. There isn't much we can do now." Kira frowned. "And my father would be worried if we weren't back before the morrow's morning."

"I understand."

"Maeko, will you prepare our carriage?"

"I shall." She bowed and excused herself.

"As for us, we ought to take our leave now. If the weather gets worst for wear, it could slow our travels down." Kira informed.

"The rain shouldn't stretch too far." Juoano mentioned. "At best, it will be back to the usual sun and clouds after a miles off."

"I hope." Yugana smiled softly as she caressed her daughter's back.

"Travel safely friends." Juoano nodded and walked them to the door.

"We will. Take care of Akemi and thank you for everything friend." Kira bade back. With one arm he balanced his daughter securely close to him while the other hand reached to shake Juoano's hand.

When the two had finished their short exchange, Juoano watched them leave his sight before he closed the door and hurried to the back. The majority of his people had already stopped their dancing while his family along with Akemi were nowhere in sight.

"They've gone on ahead." One of the members at the end of the crowd informed him. Juoano thanked him for his information before he hurried to the front of the group who led.

When he saw the familiar back of his wife, he extended a hand and pulled himself to be by her.

"Husband, welcome back." She greeted, leaning in for a quick peck. "Have they left _left_?" She asked.

"They have."

"That's good and it seems that our people have confirmed that as well." She made mention.

"Where are Akemi and Mao?"

"With the coffin."

"Excuse me darling."

"Of course." Chie said and watched her husband run to the group far ahead of the one that she led. It was a smaller group, one full of capable Chakra users who had the ability to manipulate the soil of the earth. Akemi and Mao both watched the open coffin that was resurfaced and now rode on the waves of the soil.

Hisana was still unmoved and the child that once lay on her chest disintegrated.

"This is insane." Juoano finally said while his eyes carefully observed the features of the dead woman's face. "If she isn't Tenten, then we just stole a dead body." His eyes never left the girl – he continued to inspect her features, much like he had when she was alive and much after he found out.

"She _isn't_ Hisana." Akemi reassured. "I know this so." And as usual, Juoano didn't say anything. Instead he looked at the woman with a pout. He envied the confidence that Akemi had. Hopefully she wasn't delusional.

"Did they make note of the earthquake?" Mao asked.

"We made sure to pull her up once she traveled at least 100 meters away from the original location of the grave." One of the men who controlled the earth mentioned.

"Good. I think they just assumed it was part of the thunder that rumbled." Juoano said with a sigh. "You Chakra users sure are scary. I'll never stop being amazed." There was a pause before Juoano asked what he had previously been scared of asking, "Was the child birth like all the others?"

"Yes." Mao answered. "It was quite terrifying. All the conceptions, the pulls, the reactions, the opening and breaking of the sac were so realistic. Even the process of the delivery and the way the baby _left_ her body… And I checked her pulse too. There is _none._ I feel _so sorry_ for her."

"She is a virgin." Akemi said with a deep frown. "We better make sure she's okay… not just physically but emotionally as well."

Their walk to the village was a long march and when they had arrived, the village was eerie and quiet. For those who had been left behind, peaked from their windows and exited their homes to greet there loved ones. All the children were deeply slumbering thus none had awakened from the multitude coming in.

The coffin and those who had walked with it went straight for the chief's house while the rest dispersed for their homes. In front of the chief's mansion stood an extremely old and wrinkled man leaning on a taller staff decorated with coloured patterns and feathers. With him stood his son and grandson beside him.

"Elder Counsellor Kakshikoi and Chieftain Tsuyoi." Juoano greeted along with the others. They clutched their closed fists against their chest before bowing lowly.

"Is this the girl? Is this Tenten?" Tsuyoi asked when he approached the open coffin. His muscular figure dominated his father and his eldest son, Iwa. His crossed arms only accentuated his strong biceps.

"Yes." Juoano responded.

"She looks different."

"It's an image seal." Kakshikoi interrupted his son and wobbled towards the shadow of Hisana. "I can sense it. Yes, this indeed is the little girl who had wept on my lap a long whiles back." His toothless smile proved his genuine conviction.

"Father you're blind." Tsuyoi said as he motioned towards the face of the dead one. "And I can sense that her chakra signals are different."

"Because she has done what she had left us to do." His beamed a larger smile. "She has unsealed her Chakra." This announcement raised everyone's interest. They all glanced back at the grown woman who had visited a long time ago as a child.

"Hmph." Tsuyoi whispered as he thought. "Yes, I can sense it now."

"Perhaps not all of her Chakra has been unsealed. I can still sense some blockage." Kakshikoi quickly said.

"Maybe we can discuss this inside where it is warmer." Chie said when she had joined them.

"Yes, apologies." Tsuyoi hastened and ushered them inside.

Those who had moved the earth to escort Tenten to their village easily lifted the coffin into the grandeur hut that was distinctly different than the others that surrounded it.

"You can take her here." It was Iwa, the eldest son who had shown them the way. The room was large and the rice paper doors surrounded all four sides. The opposite side of the hallway entrance led to the bountiful rock garden - the _karesansui_. In the center of the room was a fire pit and on top of the tatami mats were rolled up mattresses. "Just tell me if you need more futons."

"Isn't it past your curfew Iwa?" Mao teased the boy who turned red.

"W-we're the same age." He stuttered and crossed his arms. His callous and sharp features instantly softened. She giggled at his reaction.

"Thanks for staying up. I missed you." She confessed.

"I-I." He felt his tongue move beyond his control. "I missed you too!" He managed to say out loud.

"Relax over there lovebirds." Tsuyoi jumped in and ignored his father's wild laughter. "Your brothers are sleeping unless you want to wrestle them back into bed." Iwa instantly froze and nodded quickly.

"Is that where Yasahi is?" Chie asked.

"Yup. She had _just_ tucked in our boys." Tsuyoi said. "Anyways, it's really late. I'm going to join my wife in bed. Cheers." He said and walked out. The others who had dropped off the coffin followed him out the door.

"Oji-chan." Iwa addressed his grandfather. "Shall I help you down?"

"Yes boy. Let me sit right in front of Tenten."

"Yes Oji-chan." He said and took his grandfather's leathery tanned arm and wrapped it around his own. He led him inside, onto a cushion by the foot of the coffin and close to the fire. When Kakshikoi sat down, Iwa went off to gather a blanket to place over his grandfather's shoulders.

"Please, everyone go on and rest." The grandfather insisted.

"I'm going to bathe." Mao announced.

"I'll join too." Chie said. "What about you Akemi?"

"Yes, I'd like to do that." She raised herself slowly and followed them out.

"Don't even think about it boy." Juoano said once his daughter was out of the room. Iwa jolted from his seat and quickly looked away from the door where Mao had left. Instead he kept his eyes locked on the floor below him. His face turned red so quickly. "Where's the betrothal necklace? Still working on it?"

"Y-yes Sir."

"Good."

"Don't be too hard on the boy Juoano. You've rejected all his other attempts." Kakshikoi said in his slow and grainy voice.

"Cause all of those were crappy. My daughter deserves the best." He snipped back. "It took me 3 years to make mine. All the rest took you a few weeks. I searched high and low for the _best_ materials." Kakshikoi had mouthed the exact words that left Juoano's lips. "Hey!" He said once he realized what the old man was doing.

"You say the same thing over and over that my old ears get tired of hearing them." Kakshikoi scolded which earned a stifled chuckle from Iwa. "Don't forget all of _your_ attempts that were rejected by Chie's father." Juoano only grumbled.

By the time the ladies had come back, they all giggled at the sight of the sleeping boys.

Chie joined her husband who had rolled over to rest an arm over her waist. Mao slept close to Iwa on a separate futon. While they went to sleep, Akemi simply sat beside the coffin.

"You are not going to sleep?" Kakshikoi's voice in the silence frightened Akemi who jerked in reaction. She placed a hand on her chest to still her beating heart and examined Kakshikoi's dull grey eyes that went on to mindlessly point at the ceiling.

"I want her to know that I'm here when she wakes up." She looked back at the young woman who bore the image of Princess Hisana for roughly six months. "I want to call her by her real name when she wakes up… she will want to hear her name." Her words came out as a small whisper and she reached over to take Tenten's inert hand.

"Hmm." Kakshikoi acknowledged and diverted his eyes away from the source of Akemi's voice. So they stayed vigil and waited for the girl to rise.

1

The sapphire blue of the early morning welcomed the early risers of the day and with it the chirps of the birds began to fill the air. There was a chill that carried throughout the forest like a damp blanket. It's drops of water left marks along the grass of the ground and the smell that hovered about was sweet to the nose.

Yasahi who had just woken up entered the room where the guests lay and there she could see her father-in-law unmoved and seated.

"Good morning Yasahi." Kakshikoi welcomed. He surprised the woman who was about to leave. She stopped and turned back.

"Otou-san." She greeted. "I apologize. I thought you were asleep. How long have you been awake?"

"I'm uncertain." He smiled softly. "Perhaps I hadn't slept since her arrival." Yasahi walked in on her toes as to not disturb the rest who were still sleeping. "Should I help her down?" She had referred to Akemi who was slumped over the coffin asleep but Kakshikoi quickly told her to not.

"No, leave her be. It is her desire to remain there by Tenten's side."

Yasahi complied with her father-in-law's request and left the room to prepare breakfast. When the hour had passed, she walked into the room and placed the tray in front Kakshikoi. As per usual, she would feed him but unlike their usual pleasant conversations, she felt that she shouldn't disturb the atmosphere with conversation. A large part of her discomfort was the _dead body_ in front of her.

She hadn't seen the body until the morning but by the look of the skin, it had started to loosen. That _wasn't_ a good sign. She glanced at it with great scepticism but remained dutiful to Kakshikoi who obediently chewed on his food with the few teeth he had remaining.

"She will arise soon." He whispered. "Let us get some fresh air for the girl."

Yasahi was thankful that her father-in-law was blind. Otherwise, her expression surly would have conveyed her unbelief and offended him. She didn't disrespect Kakshikoi, often times his premonitions were _always_ correct but this time, she couldn't come around to it. He _was_ the previous chief who led their village through long prosperity.

Once the paper doors were open to the _karesansui_ , a burst of morning scents filled the room and the gentle breeze of the day whisked away the stale air of the night.

"What do you see?"

She heard the old man's grainy voice that beckoned her back and a soft smile escaped her lips. "I see many things." She started to speak once she sat by his side. "I see the dark blues of the morning fading into softer colours behind the grey outlines of the hills and tall trees." She said, going on to feed him. "Closer to our home, the rocks remain stacked on each other and the bamboo shoots are in constant motion to retrieve and give water to the pond underneath it's feet."

"Yes, I can hear it's soft drumming." He commented. "What of the people here?"

"Well…" She glanced at those by them and smiled at how relaxed they all were. "Iwa's grown taller. His feet are just poking out of the futon. He's facing Mao but they sleep on separate beds. She too is turned towards them, their hands are just a few centimetres from one another."

"That boy…" Kakshikoi snickered.

"The older woman who is an outsider is seated beside Mao, asleep, on the open coffin of a younger woman. This _Tenten_ that you speak of… her skin is now blue, purple and _waxy_." The words came out slowly. She had turned to Kakshikoi whom she had expected to be bothered but his face remained unmoved.

"What of the rest?" He asked eagerly.

"Chie is turned away from her husband and has most of the blanket wrapped around her." Yasahi giggled. "Juoano is fully splayed out on the futon, taking most of its space."

"And he snores loudly. I'm surprised that no one has awakened from it."

Yasahi looked down at the empty dishes in front of her with saddened eyes. "Otou-san." She started. "Are you certain that she is alive?"

Yasahi was a young bride when Tenten had come to their village and knew of her father-in-law's fondness for the little girl. Tsuyoi at the time couldn't stand the knowing that his father was breaking the rules for outsiders but upon their close examination of Tenten's natural skills, they were convinced that she _did_ have Chakra.

This girl in the coffin looked _nothing_ like Tenten.

"She will rise soon." Kakshikoi said. "Wake Akemi up."

Yasahi didn't argue and had done so. Carefully she knelt down to coax the older woman out of sleep as to not disturb the others who were still in slumber. For all she knew, Tenten wouldn't wake up thus spoiling everyone's much needed rest. She knew that a lot had happened to prepare for this great retrieval.

Akemi shuffled and was reluctant at first but resistance was quickly stopped once she remembered.

"I-is she awake?" Her voice was croaky and her eyelids were still closed when she had asked.

"Not yet." Yasahi told her in her soft and mothering coos.

"Ah," Akemi said and looked at the body. She frowned.

Tenten looked different from last night. Her skin had darkened; the tips of her feet and hands were blue. Her lips were cracked and the bags under her eyes were deep.

Akemi lifted Tenten's hand once more and held back her disgust upon hearing the stiffen bones and muscles pop. Yasahi couldn't restrain her own repulsion as she felt the rise of vomit creeping up her throat. "Excuse me." She managed to say before she left the room to take a breath.

"There she is, she is coming back to us now." Kakshikoi announced.

Akemi now had a look of disbelief but her faith held strong and she kept her eyes locked on the girl. She squeezed Tenten's cold and unmoved fingers gently out of fear that she would break the stiffened bones. Her eyes inspected the girl even when Yasahi's footsteps fell on her ears.

Yasahi watched from the door, greatly distressed by the lunacy of it all. The sudden pour of light from the sun drew her eyes away from the coffin as she watched the sun peak over the mountains. The birds fluttered loudly but its wings were not loud enough to mask the gasp from Akemi. Yasahi quickly moved her eyes back to the coffin and watched the impossible happen before her eyes.

The blue skin of the woman's body began to wash away as the red blood underneath crept back through her veins. It traveled up her neck, moved up to her jaw, reddened her lips, flushed her cheeks, removed the bags under her eyes and restored the gloss in her hair.

With disbelief, Akemi quickly shook Mao who grumbled but also jolted out of bed when she remembered. Her quick movement woke up Iwa and the mass shuffles of the group woke Chie who shook her husband awake. They all stood and leaned to observe the transformation.

Tenten's skin came to life while the blood traveled through her arms, her thighs, her elbows, her knees, her forearms, her calves, and it expelled the heavy blues from her hands, her feet, her fingers and toes. Her skin glistened under the soft yellows and orange of the sun.

Now they waited for her breath and in turn, held their own.

They all took a sharp inhale upon seeing Tenten's eyes move behind their lids, then her nose shifted, followed by the opening of her mouth. The supposed dead girl took a deep breath before sitting up in quick coughs. The entire room's tension disappeared as they heard the girl inhale greedy, short, gasps of air in desperation.

She sat up instantly, clutching onto her heart.

"I can't breathe! I can't breathe!" Tenten chanted through her difficult and laboured breath. Akemi held Tenten whose eyes exploded in tears.

"I'm here, I'm here." Akemi reassured as she caressed her back. "Tenten, I'm here." She said, speaking her name through the young girl's sobbing.

"I can't-" She was cut off by her own wails and the tightening of her throat. "I can't move!" She cried out despite Akemi's cooing. "I can't see!"

"Open your eyes child." Akemi encouraged and pulled back to cup Tenten's face that still possessed the haunting qualities of Hisana. It took an effort but Tenten did and the striking green eyes of Hisana shook Akemi from her concentration.

Seeing this, Mao took over.

"His- Tenten." Mao quickly corrected and took Hisana's face within her hands. "Let's take a deep breathe together." She commanded. Her strong gaze demanded Hisana's pale green eyes to stare back. It was heavily glossed with a thick veil of tears that spluttered down her cheeks, drenching Mao's hand and soaked the fabric of her lap.

"Breathe in, breathe out." Mao said in a strong voice, encouraging the whole room to participate as they all helped Tenten find her rhythm. Soon the young girl felt her heart calm and she remained still out of exhaustion.

"Tenten-"

"I want my face back." She interrupted Akemi. "I want my s-skin back!" Again, her tears came back. "I want my hands back, I want _me_ back!"

"Tenten." Akemi repeated.

By the call of her _actual_ name, many of them noticed that it had calmed her.

"Tenten." Juoano jumped in and knelt by his daughter. "Tenten, you're safe here for now and you must be exhausted. Let's take the time-"

"I _had_ time. I want my face _now_." She demanded. The room was silenced by her request and they looked at each other uncomfortably. " _Please_." She pleaded.

"Where is the seal located?" A gruff voice broke through the tension and they all glanced at their previous chief. Tenten looked up and saw that they had parted for the old man.

Her lips parted in shock.

This was… "Kakshikoi?" She asked.

The old man only responded in a smile.

"Yasahi." Kakshikoi beckoned. The woman was already by his side and she helped him up. She led him to Tenten while those who crowded made way.

"The coffin is right in front of you." She took his bony fingers and laid them on the wood. Once he had hold of it, he patted around to gauge what lay in front of him. When he was comfortable, his eyes wandered for Tenten. "Where are you little one?" He asked.

His question drew Tenten to choke on her tears. "I-I'm here." She said and grasped his hand that reached out for her.

"How are you Tenten?" He asked, recalling the time they first met.

Her soft sobbing fell into sharp whimpers. "N-not so good." She forced out through her growing wail.

"Little girl." He moved his hands confidently to wipe her tears and started to hum his lullaby. All that lived there joined in, even Juoano's deep base confidently went to sing. Tenten leaned in to bare her head against the chief's shoulders as she wept.

He patted her back until she had no more tears to offer. Akemi too had to wipe her own at the sight of what lay before her.

"Now." Kakshikoi said, pulling Tenten away. "Where is that seal?"

"Here." She took his hand and brought it to the back of her neck. It was smooth and unblemished. He began to massage the place she mentioned and poured some of his Chakra in to reveal the seal that had disappeared a long time ago. Once it was there he frowned.

"The one who seals –"

"Unseals." Tenten finished his sentence and sighed in defeat.

"This person who casted it is _good_. They know the way but do not know it as well as I do."

Tenten's eyes lit up.

"I can only take it apart slowly in fear of what may happen to you. What shall I bring back first?"

"Otou-san." Yasahi's voice was laced with concern.

"Is it your skin? Your hair? Your face? List it down for me." He said through his daughter-in-law's worry.

"My body. I want my muscles back, I want my height back."

"And then?" He kept on massaging her seal.

"My skin. I want to see my scars and I want to see my tanned skin."

"I'll see what I can do." He promised. With great concentration and determination, they could feel the strength of his Chakra pouring into her. After a considerable amount of time a strong gust of wind began to pool around Tenten and break through.

The crowd that was around Tenten were awed as the girl's body began to grow and shift. Her toned body and the subtle indications of her muscles began to tighten her gown. Tenten looked at her hands where her callouses began to grow and her fingers lengthened. She then looked at her legs that stretched in length.

The changes weren't _terribly_ drastic; she was no doubt, still a woman.

The height was the only jarring thing. She grew a near 3 inches.

Tenten then went on to observe her arms to see if her skin had darkened to its slight olive tone rather than the marble white she had worn for months. Her eyes widened in delight as her skin had done so but once the transformation finished, she turned to Kakshikoi who had laboured breath.

He was sweating too.

"Otou-san." Yasahi spoke.

"Excuse my old bones, I am greatly fatigued."

"Thank you." Tenten quickly said while Kakshikoi only responded with a smile.

His cold fingers left Tenten's neck and reached out for Yasahi who took it. Without another word, the woman led him out the room and her soft chastising was faint when they reached the hallway. Along with her words, the chief's coughs were faint.

Tenten's skin and body transfixed her while she eagerly inspected it in fear that she would lose it once more. It drew her to more tears. "I'm _me_." She groaned into her lap. After taking a few deep breaths she finally relaxed.

"I should check up on you." Mao said.

Tenten peaked from her arms and nodded.

"That means everyone should leave." Mao urged. The usual and demanding voice drew Tenten to a laugh.

"I'll bring food." Chie said as she dragged her sobbing husband by the hand.

"I'll help." Akemi said through her running nose.

"And I'll take a bath." Iwa said, never leaving his eyes off Mao as he walked out.

"Well. What are you waiting for?" Mao asked once the paper slides closed. Tenten's eyes widened as she staggered up to undress for the doctor. "You're tall." Mao grumbled. She herself was only 4'9.

"I guess I never noticed until now." Tenten said in a whisper.

"What was it like?" Mao asked after a while.

"It felt like drowning." Tenten said. "Everything was disorientating. I could sense and feel but I had no control… I was drowning in my own body."

"I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be apologetic about."

But Mao didn't listen. Instead the little girl who had held back her sadness had now let her tears fall. "The baby." She whispered faintly behind her tense voice.

"It wasn't real."

"I know but the pain."

Tenten winced.

She didn't have any words for that. Her skin crawled with goose bumps at the memory of the pain that shocked her entire body.

"Was Kira actually good?" Mao asked. "Did he _really_ do it out of love for Hisana?"

There was a long pause. "I think a large part of it _was_ but he came to my dead body and confessed much of what he wanted to do."

"What was it?" Mao asked quietly.

"He wanted to gain control of the Kingdom, marry me off to his widowed father and become a consoler. In due time he would have killed his father to have total control."

"So Kira _is_ a bad guy."

"I think he's a good guy who had to do a lot of _bad_ things."

"He didn't _have_ to."

Tenten didn't argue. Mao was probably right in some way but she was forever thankful that Kira got a hold of her rather than all the other men who had bid. He was gentle and patient by far.

"He was angry that I died." Tenten said. This time Mao didn't respond. "But who wouldn't be? Hisana was expensive and she was the road to the Kingdom."

"What about your own people? You claim to have them take her to safety? Wouldn't they just want the Kingdom as well?"

"I wouldn't be surprised." Tenten said and her fists curled in anger at the thought. "There's always a catch to everything." She muttered.

"All your vitals are strong and in tact. Let's have breakfast and deal with everything else for later."

123

Neji approached his uncle's office with stiff knocks. It was a while before he was invited in. The soldiers who stood by the doors squirmed uncomfortably in the presence of the very irritated Duke.

"Who approaches?" King Hiashi's muffled voice could be heard from where Neji stood.

"It is I." Neji said. The king recognized Neji's familiar deep voice instantly and was granted permission to enter.

"What is it?" The king's pale eyes remained on his desk where he was reading his work.

"I wish to be reinstated to the RIC." Neji requested confidently once he had closed the door behind him.

"You _are_ stillpart of the King's Guard." He was reminded firmly.

"Apologies Your Highness. Let me clarify my words further. I desire to live amongst my fellow colleagues and go on my routine when I lived in the barracks. My days here are more suited for a Duke."

"Are you not one?"

"I am but that title is second compared to my place as a warrior."

"Then I command you to reinstate your role as a Duke first."

Neji didn't even react. He was not surprised to hear such things. The past months throughout Hisana's pregnancy, the king had made sure to keep Neji close to her. It had come as a suspicion that King Hiashi still planned on reuniting the two kingdoms. At the same time, he felt no will to fight his uncle's plans. Any form of feeling that he had disintegrated once Tenten was bid off.

"And what if she does not desire to marry anyone?"

"I must hear it out of her lips."

A long pause ensued between the two. The king made no effort to look away from his paperwork as he continued to write. "Understood." Neji accepted the unspoken challenge.

His uncle hadn't bothered to respond to the slight snip in his nephew's words. But the king probably wished he hadn't dismissed Hirishio from babysitting duty _until_ he had secured some sort of marriage between Neji and Hisana. However, he ignored it due to Neji's lengthy cooperation.

Neji left and walked towards the greenhouse where the Uchiha women took refuge for the day. He could see them idly chatting around the tea table. Princess Hinata and Lady Sakura were there too as they cooed the sleeping babe in the cradle beside Princess Hisana.

They all stopped once Neji had gotten close. "Apologies ladies, I'd like a moment with Princess Hisana." Sakura looked reluctant and Hinata looked concerned. The other ladies instantly giggled and scrambled to leave them alone.

"It's alright ladies." Hisana reassured both Sakura and Hinata. Upon hearing that, they both stood and left. When they were alone, Neji remained silent before Hisana finally looked from her babe to Neji. "You wanted something?"

Neji took a deep breath while he prepared his question. He had felt so sure until this point. "Will you marry me?"

Hisana's eyes widened before she scoffed. "Is that a demand or a question?"

Neji only lowered his eyebrows. "Is that a yes?"

"No." Hisana chuckled. "Did my words specifically say 'yes'?" She rolled her eyes and went on to massage her baby's open stomach. "So is this what King Hiashi's requested? Do I truly have a choice in the matter or is that the price for my rescue?"

"Would it matter?"

"Yes it would." Hisana said before she asked him a question. "Have you ever been in love?"

Neji winced. He didn't know the answer but as he thought, Tenten flashed into his mind.

"You're hesitant." Hisana observed. "You're uncertain."

Neji was suddenly reminded that Princess Hisana was 5 years older than he was.

"Sit." She urged sternly.

He did. While he made himself comfortable, she reached down to pick up her tiny son whose black hair was strikingly similar to Itachi's against his pale skin. "I've decided to name him Nozomi."

"Hope." Neji whispered it's meaning in deep thought.

"Yes." She agreed, caressing her baby's back while he slept soundly on her chest. "He's got my eyes but he looks so much like his father." She leaned in to peck his forehead. "Itachi and I weren't in love at first."

Neji made no reaction. "You appeared to be in love."

"Yes but only 2 years after our betrothal. At first I was meant to marry a man named Kira." Neji's eyes widened. He recognized that name; it belonged to the eldest son of the powerful Wanatabe Clan. "So I gave him my heart and he gave his to me. In short, Itachi had asked for my hand and who could deny the king's son?" She lowered her eyes. "It was hard to get used to. I wrote Kira letters constantly. Not only was he my lover but I believed him to be my best friend as well.

"Eventually it was stopped. It didn't look good for the three families. I was angry and confused but Queen Mikoto was there to guide me out of that. She too hadn't love the king at first but had eventually found a place in his hardened heart. After hearing her story I forced and convinced myself to love Itachi.

"It wasn't hard… I thought it would be but Itachi has his ways." She bit her bottom lip to suppress a giggle, knowing that it would wake her babe. "He was such a skilled warrior, an intelligent diplomat, and a careful politician but he knew nothing of _love_.

"Of course, there are many types of love. There's family love, friendship love, love for oneself and a romantic kind of love. Itachi understood the first three but couldn't wrap his mind around the last one." Hisana smiled. "He stumbled a lot. It was so unlike him and soon, _I_ found myself loving him."

"How did you know he loved you?" Neji asked.

"He became _different_. At first he was distant but then he tried to treat me like he does Sasuke because 'we're both family'." She chuckled softly. "That didn't last long. I cried a lot and the Queen scolded him. So he changed his ways and treated me as he would a friend but I think he began to see _how_ different _I_ was compared to his friends. Soon his interactions with me were gentle, unsure yet curious. He was like a child discovering something new for the first time." Again she laughed, caressing her baby's back.

"I encouraged his growing feelings. He was so shy to approach and once he got comfortable, he grew passionate, confident and expressive… only when we were _alone_ of course." Her eyes were distantly gazed as they explored her memory's eyes. "But when was the _first_ time he started to love me? Was it when he started treating me as a friend? As a lady? As his wife?"

Neji pursed his lips together. He hated to admit that their evolving relationship reminded him of his own conflicted relationship. "It must have been before he initiated friendship." Hisana's eyes widened and she looked up.

"It was." She said. "I had stopped writing letters to Kira for a long while then but I was still upset over my whole ordeal. Anyways, I attended one of the parties as his plus one as expected of me. Some of Kira's friends thought that it would be wise to talk badly about Itachi. I was disappointed to see that Kira hadn't stopped them so I did. The look on Itachi's face was priceless… and the look on Kira's stung but it didn't break my heart. I think that's how I knew I was slowly getting over him.

"Itachi was different after that. Of course I didn't think he _loved_ me but he told me a near 5 years later. You my dear, I can tell that you also are in the beginning phases of love. I wouldn't say that it has fully bloomed but it is there." She said. "For men like you, it's hard to fall in love. Whoever it is that made you feel that way is a special girl. Believe me, you won't find anyone else like her.

"You can't love me even if you try." Hisana said confidently. " _Maybe_ I'll love you 10 years from now but _never_ will I love you the same way I had for Itachi. To be honest, this baby here, he's the only love I can afford to give."

There was a long silence between them.

"What should I do then?" Neji asked in reference to his feelings. His face turned a slight shade red. He had never asked or been taught how to handle these unknown feelings until now. Perhaps he was just waiting for someone else to confirm them.

Someone outside of his circle, of friends and family.

Someone outside of himself.

"You find her."

"Everyone-" His voice came to a hitch as he squirmed uncomfortably. "I'm forbidden." His hands curled into a fist over his thighs.

"She's alive." Hisana whispered. "She's alive and you can find her… I would do anything to have Itachi back."

Neji felt a lump in throat as his heart sunk deep in his chest. "W-what if I'm too late?" He had to swallow the thickness building in the back of his mouth and blinked rapidly to calm the stinging in his eyes.

"Do you _know_ for certain?" She asked.

Neji shook his head.

"Then go find her."

Neji raised his hand over his forehead. At first Hisana had thought that he had slumped over to cry but after he had lifted his head she saw an intricate pattern glowing in green that wasn't originally there before.

"This seal paralyzes me when I get too far from Konohagakure against my Uncle's will. It had been used against me a few weeks prior to your arrival for the first time in over 7 years."

"Is there anyone who can undo it?"

"No-" he stopped when he realized he had cousins tied to the Eastern Foresters. The hope that had been casted away had surged through him like electricity. He stood immediately. "Princess, can you tell the king that you have no desire to marry me or anyone?"

At first her eyes widened in shock but she smiled widely. "Of course."

"Then excuse me princess." He bowed.

"Good luck Neji." She said as he jogged out of the large garden. He ignored the crowd of ladies who had rushed to look away from the door and continued his journey to the stables. His hastened leave left the girls in shock, especially Hinata and Sakura who glanced at each other in concern.

Once he saw the stables, he only spared a quick 'hello' to the workers before he hopped on his horse to make his way to the barracks. Akamaru barked loudly to inform the rest of them that Neji had arrived. Lee was the first to storm out of the house to greet his friend.

"Neji! Are you finally back with us?" Lee asked with great enthusiasm.

"Not yet." He said, jumped off and walked inside. He hurried up the stairs and nearly bumped into Kiba who was still half-asleep. The dog master stepped aside and watched Neji rush into his room.

"Where are you headed? Are you leaving us just when you got here?" Kiba teased while he watched Neji pack. Lee and Akamaru joined his side to look.

"I'm headed to Is."

"To Is?" The three, including the dog, all looked at each other with curiosity. They watched Neji who had a wide grin on his face – the first thing closest to a smile since Tenten's departure.

"Did the king send you on a mission?" Lee asked. Perhaps the king had requested an audience with Elder Yulie or one of his clansmen since his bloodline governed the Province of Is.

"I'm assigning myself on a mission."

"When will you be back boss?" Kiba asked instead and yawned.

"Not sure. Tell Naruto."

"Wait, what are you going to do there?" Lee interjected and was a lot more frantic than Kiba.

"I'm going to find a way to unseal this curse on my forehead." He said and stormed out of his room with his travel pack thrown over his shoulder.

"W-wait what?!" His friends exclaimed in utter shock but Neji didn't stay to explain. By the time they had run down to stop him, Neji was already on his horse and was halfway to the gates.

123

Tenten picked her food but never ate it. Everyone within the dining room had noticed this since she had awakened but no one dared to comment until now. "Are you going to eat or not?" Mao asked with slight irritation.

"Ah." Tenten had awakened from her mindless thoughts and looked at her doctor.

"You wanted your muscles back so much and now you're willing to let it deteriorate?" Mao chastised.

"Mao…" Juoano whispered softly.

"It's alright Juoano, Mao is right." Tenten said and forced herself to eat. The food _looked_ and _smelled_ wonderful but always tasted bland in her mouth.

"Maybe I cooked it wrong." Yasahi suggested sheepishly.

"No-no! It's not that." Tenten reassured. "It's me… I can't taste anything." She confessed and instantly drew concern from those who listened.

"But everything in your physical concluded that you are healthy." Mao explained.

"Perhaps it is the heart that is in distress." Kakshikoi said and gathered their attention.

"Heart? I checked her vitals; she's-" Mao's mother stopped her daughter's ramblings with a gentle touch.

"The emotional heart." Chie explained and Mao's shifted to suggest her sudden understanding. This vulnerable moment forced Tenten in the center of attention. She excused herself and left the group to wait in apprehension.

"I'll go look after her." Akemi said and stood.

"Wait a moment before you interrupt her." Kakshikoi instructed gently. The two families present went on to continue their meal and after the tension had passed, they were on their way to merry conversation.

Yasahi listened to her younger sons rant about their day while she micromanaged their spills. Tsuyoi fed his blind father but was enthusiastically responding to his family's conversation. Iwa sat beside Mao and was engaged in her conversation with her parents.

However they were interrupted by Akemi's scream.

Juoano, Mao, Tsuyoi were the first to rise and they ran to the source of the sound. Iwa fumbled with his dishes before he followed suite but was stopped by his grandfather.

"Help me up." He said. At first Iwa kissed his teeth but went on to do so. They were the last to arrive. "What do you see?"

"A-Akemi is on the ground, shocked. Dad is holding a knife above Tenten while Juoano is holding her back. Mao is inspecting Tenten right now."

"I'm not trying to kill myself!" Tenten shouted.

"Then what were you doing with this?!" Tsuyoi demanded.

"I was trying to cut my hair off!"

"Why?!" Juoano asked.

"Because it's not my hair!" Her scream was so loud that it caused the near birds and animals to scatter away. The loud collection of rustles was staggering enough to draw the heat of the moment away.

"She doesn't have any wounds." Mao confirmed and let out a breath of relief.

"Maybe I can-"

"Father!" Tsuyoi interrupted Kakshikoi. "You're in no condition to unseal the rest. You've already done enough."

"I'm not asking you to unseal me, I just want my hair gone. You've done enough chief, I'm grateful for that. I wouldn't want you to push yourself either."

There was a long pause.

"Is that really what you want?" Tsuyoi asked and clenched his hand around the knife's handle.

"Yes!" She pleaded.

"Juoano get Chidji. She'll shave all your hair but do not become hysterical and ask for it back." The irritation in his voice was palpable and he spared no sympathy even when he saw the saddened expression of his father. "Otou-san. I command and forbid you as the present chief to use your Chakra to unseal her."

Kakshikoi did not argue but he was clearly displeased. Iwa had never seen them disagree so openly before. Tsuyoi left the room and Juoano followed behind to retrieve Chidji. "Sit me down with the girl." Kakshikoi said while Iwa reluctantly led him to her.

"Oji-chan…" Iwa started to speak with a tinge of worry.

"I would not break the commands of the chief." Kakshikoi reassured. "Now leave Tenten and I alone. Let Chidji knock when she has arrived." Mao and Iwa both bowed at his request and ushered Akemi outside. They only started their exchange of words when they heard the paper door slide shut.

"Is it true that you hadn't intended on harming yourself?"

"Yes."

Kakshikoi prolonged the silence until Tenten felt uncomfortable enough to confess. "It came into mind. Maybe. It was all hazy."

"Tenten…"

"It's hard okay? I don't know what I'm doing anymore. I don't know what I want to do with my life… I finished my mission but I don't want to go back to Konoha. I don't want to serve _that king_ and I sure as hell don't want to be his _guard_." Her words were venomous and strapped with hatred. "And I hate myself." She felt her voice whimper, feeling utterly pathetic. "I hate this face. I hate the Princess."

He let her burnin her anger for as long as she wanted.

"It seems that on your journey of self discovery, you've let other's define who _you_ ought to be before you've even gotten around to _accepting_ who you are. I may be blind now and perhaps I cannot see this face that does not belong to you but I know your voice and it is Tenten. I recognize your words and your personality. It is _very_ much Tenten. Why don't you tell me who you _were_ before and let's cancel that with truths of who you _are_."

"Everything?" Tenten asked.

"I'm an old blind man with nothing better to do than to listen. Try me."

She burst out into a laughter that was masked by the mucus in her throat.

"Okay." She said as she wiped her stinging eyes.

123

Beneath the distant visage of the thick trees lay the familiar castle that belonged to Elder Yulie's family. He could see it from the window by his bed. For once, Neji felt _in control_ of his decisions and life. After years of staying inside his birdcage with its gate open, he had _now_ taken the courage to step out of it.

It was unbearably uncomfortable at first. To be spontaneous and to be moving his wings by his will was _different_ and _difficult._ He used muscles he wouldn't have otherwise used but it felt _good_.

He never felt _good_ when it concerned his own personal desire until now.

He rose from his bed to examine the quant town where he had rested from the night and rubbed his forehead where it still stung. His uncle was merely sending him a warning sign. It didn't incapacitate him but the pain he felt took a lot of mental strength to fight through.

Tenten was worth it. He reminded himself.

My freedom is worth it. He smiled at the thought.

With a certain kick in his feet, he stood and quickly draped his robe on to get ready for the travel ahead. He approached the door and was shocked to see who had stood in front of it.

"Lee?" He stuttered at the sight of his best friend. Neji looked around before he grabbed Lee and pulled him into the room. "Who sent you? Who followed you?" Neji let go of him and activated his byakugan to make sure that none of his uncle's army had followed Lee.

"The king didn't send me if that's what you're worried about." Lee said and crossed his arms. In truth he was offended that Neji would even suggest it. "We were worried about you so it was agreed that I find you."

"Don't stop me."

"I'm not here to stop you." Lee grinned and gave him thumbs up. "I'm here to support you."

"Lee, how are you getting away with this?"

"After Kiba and I explained the situation, Naruto suggested that one of us should accompany you. I jumped at the spot since I am your best friend!"

"Thanks Lee."

After a quick breakfast, they both traveled by horse to the castle of Is. The road from the town to the castle was stone unlike the muddy travel from the main city to the province. This eased their otherwise bumpy ride as they neared the gates of the castle.

Neji didn't have to show the crest of the RIC to gain entry but he did anyways. The gatekeepers announced the arrival of the RIC and pulled the bars up to invite the two in. Immediately servants attended the both of them and took their horses from their grasp once they approached the foot of the castle.

One familiar servant greeted them at the door and Neji recognized him as the one who led the carriage with Tenten, Lady Esther and her four daughters. "Duke Neji Hyuuga and Sir Rock Lee, apologizes for our inadequate appearances. We hadn't expected guests."

"That's alright. This visit was very sporadic." Neji said and stepped inside.

"To whom shall I call?"

Neji's eyes wandered around and saw one of the daughters peak from the doorway before she hurried away in a fit of laughter. He could hear that she was calling the rest of her sisters. "Are Elder Yulie or Lady Esther home?"

"Elder Yulie will reside in Kumogakure until he is no longer required… as for Lady Esther, she is still there as well." That meant that Tenten most likely hadn't gotten in contact with the Lady yet. Otherwise, Lady Esther would be back here _with_ Tenten. He could start his search at the Eastern Forest once his seal was gone.

"Then is there anyone else I can speak to?"

"Dr. Alexander is currently busy preparing for his wedding."

"General Isaiah?"

"He is still with his mother in Kumogakure."

"Then may I speak with the ladies?"

The servant frowned but turned around anyways to fetch them. "What a coincidence, they're _all_ here." The male said with much sarcasm. "Shall I take you to the parlour?"

"Don't worry Paul, we'll lead them there. Just get the tea and snacks." Paul grumbled but complied. It was the more feminine girl who had said these words and Neji remembered her as Reina in Tenten's letter. She hid her sly smile behind her fan while the rest of the girls followed silently. "Cousin Neji, it's _so_ good to see you!" She said and extended her hand for him to take.

He leaned in to peck her knuckles before he addressed the rest of the ladies with quick kisses on their cheeks. Lee had done so also but had to grasp one of them who had nearly fainted in his arms.

"Ah!" Lee exclaimed as he held her up. "Are you okay my lady?!"

"Y-yes!" She squealed back. Lisa and Abigail let out unladylike scoffs in an attempt to suppress their laughter. Reina was the only one to elegantly hold her laughter back.

"Oh Lee." Reina said as she fanned her faint sister. "It seems Margaret is feeling a little tired. She practises martial arts you know? Perhaps she is tired from all her training. Maybe you can lend her your arm throughout the travel."

"Of course!" He generously accepted without a moment of hesitation. Now he looked determined. Reina casted a wink at Margaret before she went on to wrap her hand over Neji. It caught him off guard to see a woman so foreword.

Reina began to go in idle chatter about the weather, gossip and family that Neji had no care of. He knew the families of course, they were all under the large Hyuuga clan but he was genuinely surprised to hear her recount all the details of each one. Eventually when they had reached the parlour, they all sat down and Reina was quick to ask what Neji had wanted.

Again, her foreword and blunt question surprised him. At first, he thought he had heard wrong until he glanced at Lee's mirrored surprise. Reina's eyebrows rose as if ushering him to speak. He cleared his throat.

"I was hoping you could unseal this for me." He said and touched his forehead to make it appear. His cousins' gawked in shock and Lisa was the first to get a closer look.

" _Great."_ Neji thought. He _hoped_ they knew what they were doing. He had only assumed such things because of their relationship to Lady Esther. "If Dr. Alexander is more qualified I can-"

"Hush." Reina said as she slapped her fan shut by his lips. "You've come to the right place little cousin." Neji's eyes narrowed at her informality. "We _are_ older than you by 2 years at least." She informed him and opened her fan once more by her face. Neji stopped grumbling.

Instead he pursed his lips while Lisa's unfamiliar fingers began to touch and prod his seal. He opened his mouth but shut them again.

"Lisa is the next priestess of our village. You're lucky to be seen by her." Abigail jumped in, knowing that Reina's clarification would irk Neji.

"This is different than the one father had." Lisa announced while she straightened her back. "It's stronger."

"Who unsealed Elder Yulie's seal?" Neji asked. At first he was astonished at the thought of Elder Yulie suffering from it but perhaps they had placed it _after_ hehad gotten involved with Lady Esther.

"Grandma did." Lisa told him. "Well… grandma _and_ mom."

"I've never heard this story before." Margaret said and glanced at Abigail who also shrugged.

"That's because you'd always run around doing _male_ activities like _training_." Reina rolled her eyes. Margaret and Abigail couldn't argue. "Anyways you know how papa visited mama whenever he could at the cottage where mom was exiled to?"

The sister's nodded while Neji and Lee listened with intrigue.

"Papa's illicit affair was made known amongst the elders. They decided to place the seal on him." Reina continued. "He still visited mom but it nearly killed him. Mama was able to unseal enough of it for papa to be conscious but not all of it so she begged _amachi_ to unseal the rest. _Amachi_ snuck out and helped heal papa back to full health."

"Do you think you could do the same?" Neji asked Lisa with a spark of growing hope still in his eyes. The woman made no change in expression.

" _Amachi did_ say that Lisa has more skill than mama." Margaret said.

"And _amachi_ said that Lisa could surpass her after more years in training." Abigail added.

"So it's possible?" Lee asked with more hope and excitement than Neji showed.

"The strength that they are speaking of is possible after training for a few years." Lisa confessed with a sigh. Lee's face deflated but Neji kept the slight spark in his eye and continued to hope. "But I can help ease it for you to do what you wanted… _what_ is it that you want exactly?"

"I-" Neji paused and glanced at Lee. He could feel his cheeks warm up. It would be the first time he'd confess such a thing in front of someone so close to him. Lee was attentive and appeared to be curious. "I need to go to Kumogakure so I can find a girl."

"You mean Tenten?" Reina asked with a kind of calmness that suggested she already knew. She only smiled behind her fan.

"Ah. Yes." Neji said slowly. The three sisters shared sly smiles when they realized the extent of Neji's feelings. Lee hadn't realized what everyone else discovered _after_ a few more seconds of inspecting the room's atmosphere.

"You like Tenten?!" Lee asked loudly. Reina, Abigail and Lisa all rolled their eyes when he declared the obvious. Margaret appeared to be as shocked as Lee. "I thought you were merely concerned for her as a colleague! As a brother in arms! As a captain over your army!"

Neji looked away. He could feel his palm sweat uncomfortably.

"That's so sweet." Reina quipped. "It's like papa and mama."

"I'll need help." Lisa said and looked at her sisters who understood.

"Do _I_ have to?" Reina pouted. She received a look from all her sisters.

"You could easily surpass me if you actually put effort into training." Lisa stated. "Of course I need you."

"I kid, I kid… well? What's step one?"

"I have to send a message to ma." Lisa said. "It's too risky to do anything right now. Since the seal is a stronger form of what papa had, it will be good to get some wise counsel from them."

"How long would that take?" Neji asked.

"Weeks. Maybe 3 for the message to get back and forth."

"We cannot stay here for 3 weeks." Neji said and glanced at Lee whom he had assumed had opened his mouth to say the same thing. "We have duties to the kingdom."

"Well actually." Lee interrupted. " _I_ have duties to the kingdom. You haven't necessarily been reinstated yet."

"Surely you don't have to leave _now_." Reina said behind her fan. "You've come such a long way. Please continue to grace us with your presence! You should stay a little longer and have Margie show you around." She offered and snuck in a quick wink at her blushing sister when Lee wasn't looking. Neji, however, caught sight of it. He chose not to feed into their questionable actions.

"I guess I can." Lee said.

"Of course you can!" Reina said in a higher pitch. "With a week long vacation, I'm sure you have some days remaining. Surely a day of traveling does not constitute as a week." She then finished her ramble with a satisfying giggle.

"If you insist." Lee said with a slight fluster. His hand instinctively neared his head and he scratched the jawline right below his ear.

"We certainly _are_ insisting." Reina glanced at Margaret before she stared at the door. Paul had just entered with a tray of biteable snacks while another maid behind him held a large teakettle and accompanying cups. "Teatime." Reina announced. "My favourite."

123

"Tell me what you see."

Tenten glimpsed at Kakshikoi. It had been the same question he'd ask her every morning, every afternoon and every night for the past two weeks since she had shaved her hair off. She sighed but nonetheless, opened her mouth to respond.

"I see… the radiance of the morning sun breaking through the red and purples of the sky. The sun itself is still hiding under the grey mountains and heavy greens of the forest." Sounds of chirps from small melodious birds accompanied the image that was painted for the blind Elder. Likewise, the air was chilly and moist from the dew of the morn.

"Mothers are awake and are starting their morning preparations. The children that are awake are running around to either help or play." There were distant sounds of laughter and a faint chatter of feminine tones. Crackles of fire blazed as distant smells of freshly grilled fish wafted into the air. Along with it, the familiar boiling of rice over the communal pot signalled the nearing breakfast.

A long steady silence washed over the two as expected. They continued to observe the day unfold and acknowledged the brief appearance of Yasahi who settled their morning meal in front of them.

"Your hair is coming along." Yasahi commented. Her words encouraged Kakshikoi to reach for the top of Tenten's head. He stroked the short bristle of her brown hair. "What will you two be up to for today?" She asked.

"The usual." Tenten said.

"People watching hmm?" At that moment Yasahi wished that her father-in-law could see her expression of disbelief. Instead she prayed that Kakshikoi could read her mind that begged him to do something about it. No one dared to publically express their opinion of Tenten's lack of will to do anything.

Even Akemi had found a way to contribute to the village by being an apprentice to their doctor.

"Have fun you two." Yasahi said before she left.

"You know you can't just sit here all day for the rest of your life." Kakshikoi said after Yasahi was out of the room. He _did_ have good hearing compared to the rest and constantly heard the delicate conversations – complaints - surrounding the two.

"Why not? You do."

He scoffed. "No Tenten. I _do_ sit, but I do _more_ than just sitting."

"Right." Tenten agreed. "We're breathing and thinking. Oh and we're talking and eating." She quipped.

"No dear. I contribute to the barrier of this village. This is the duty of the Elders." His answer was flat and instantly shut Tenten's wit. Tenten pouted and hadn't bothered to respond. Instead she ate her meal and fed Kakshikoi too.

"Why don't you go about your original mission? Unseal the rest of your Chakra."

"Then what will I do after?"

"Whatever you want."

Tenten thought for a long time.

"Can I come back here?"

"Of course. I did say whatever you want but can you live with your decision guilt free?" His question drew out some confusion from Tenten and she had hoped that the expression on her face conveyed it. It was only after he hadn't clarified did she remember that he was blind.

"Why wouldn't I be guilt free?"

"Your entire life in Konohagakure and your allegiance to RIC. Will you reject your oath?"

She scoffed. "I was never part of them. They simply _used_ me to get their gain." Kakashikoi forced them into a silence until Tenten confessed. "Alright. Perhaps I shall give them my final goodbye."

"How so?" This time he engaged her words without a beat of silence.

"A report?" She shrugged. Her answer didn't seem to satisfy the Elder and with that she let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't want to see anyone there."

"Why not?"

"Because they hurt me." Her words came out as a growl. "I don't want to see _any_ one of them." Despite her heart quickening to the rising boil of her anger, a quick image of Hinata and Sakura soothed her animosity. It cooled the scolding waters of her soul and mystified her into a melancholy feeling only to be blamed on missing them.

"Surely you don't believe that." Kakshikoi heard the uncertainty laced within her words and he was quick to call her out on it.

"I-" She felt her throat clog as her eyes began to sting. The quick thought of Neji brought her voice to an unashamed waver. Another thought of Lee smiling only dug at her already broken heart. "I." She tried to start a sentence but she could feel her face contort into an expression beyond her control. The image of a wide grin from Naruto, from Kiba and from Akamaru stabbed deep into her wounded heart.

A guttural wail erupted from her soul.

The past two weeks she had been numb, void of all feeling and unmoved by the senses her body could experience. Today it felt like her soul had broken through the dam she had built over the mouths of being under cover before her mounted feelings burst forth.

Kakshikoi patted her back and caressed her hunched shoulder.

"They betrayed me! They were supposed to be _family_." She insisted. "I _hate_ them." After another long desperate cry, she calmed. "I feel _so_ stupid for believing them. For believing that I _actually_ deserved to be part of RIC." She sniffled.

"Yes, perhaps you can say your goodbyes and leave. All your life, you have had your decisions chosen for you but perhaps now that you are choosing this, they ought to respect it."

"They _will_ respect it." Tenten said. "I'll make sure of it." She confirmed with a confidence that frightened Kakshikoi. Tenten responded in a soft laughter upon seeing his concerned expression. "I won't do anything drastic to them." She reassured. "I promise."

"Okay… As long as you're here in one piece."

Tenten waited before she hurried away to collect the journal she had kept throughout her time under Kira and some fresh paper. "I was thinking that I could say goodbye to my _actual_ friends and ask them to hand over the report to the RIC?"

"Sure."

"You don't approve."

Kakshikoi shrugged. "I feel like that method does not bare true closure."

"What do you want me to do then?"

"I want you to heal."

Tenten grumbled. "By talking to them?"

"Maybe."

She sighed. "Okay. Maybe. I'll think about it. For now, just lend me your time and ears."

"I've been doing that since your arrival." He reminded with a grin.

She paused to observe the old man's goofy expression before joining in his laughter. "You're right, you're right." She agreed before she readied her body for the wave of emotions that she would face while reading through her journal.

"I'm here." Kakshikoi reminded and forced her out of her concentration. She glanced at the old man before letting out a content sigh.

"You're right." She reminded herself before she focused once more on her journal.

She guided her calloused hands over the leather bound cover that had been handed to her after a few weeks of living with Kira. It had been Akemi who had suggested to document everything she felt comfortable writing down as a way to keep her grounded. It was the same journal that Akemi had kept safe until she presented it to Tenten a week ago.

Tenten had refused it and tossed it across the room. Still, Akemi picked up the journal and gathered some of the loose paper. The older woman's pathetic kneeling brought about sympathy from Tenten. She looked away from her shamed conduct. She hadn't accepted it yet but eventually warmed up to it being around her.

This would be the first time she'll read it since she last wrote in it. She still remembered her mental breakdowns when she wrote jagged and possessed lines across the pages of the book. Some words were repeated in a horrifying chant.

"I AM TENTEN. I AM TENTEN. I AM TENTEN AM TENTEN AMTENTEN IAMTENTEN IAMTENTENIAMTENTENTENTENTENTEN."

But she wasn't at that part of the book yet. She'd have to trudge through all her sane recollections of the people at the party so she could adequately write something _professional_ for the report. With another deep inhale, she turned the cover and winced at the elegant cursive her steady hand wrote at the beginning of her mission.

"My name is Tenten of Konohagakure. I am a Royal Inner Circle, a sworn oath for the King's Guard sent on a mission by the King for the benefit of the Kingdom. I am also a descendent of the Eastern Forest, a born Kumogakuran adopted by Princess Hinata."

One by one, she read through each page carefully. Whenever she found something adequate to report, she would jot it down on the other papers beside her.

The later pages of her journal were not cohesive but rather an illegible mess that expressed her fear and the growing insanity within herself. It documented her despair and lost hope for the Kingdom she had set her allegiance on and with it, a dire plea for someone to save her.

The process was long and painful yet meditative. She was able to dissect her broken thoughts and find the pieces that could be bound together. In the end she was exhausted but now found a new fire in her to finish the quest she started.

"…Cordially, Tenten of the Eastern Forest, former RIC Warrior." She finished reading to Kakshikoi.

"Much better! Less angry, more professional and a lot less… _everywhere_."

"You know what? I feel better."

"It's all part of the process of healing dear."

"I'm still mad."

"Of course, of course. I'm _still_ mad for you." He agreed as he sipped his tea. "So dear." He caught her attention. "What are the plans now?"

"Well." She smiled. "I have to head over to the Eastern Forest and get the rest of me back."

"Thatta girl." Kakshikoi shared a toothless grin. "But why don't we do that tomorrow? This is the third meal of the day and so I'm assuming that night had befallen on us."

"Oh right." Tenten said and let out another laugh. This was a new record for the girl. It was pleasing to hear and this had not gone unappreciated by the residence of the household who excitedly chatted over this development.

1

The passing days indicated the upcoming fall right after the lengthy summer and spring that had rested over Kumogakure for such a long time. The trees appeared to darken in their green while the occasional trees that weren't evergreens turned a brighter red or orange. The path was muddier, which slowed their travel.

A chilly breeze ran through the air and swept over Tenten and her travel companions. She pulled her cloak closer to her chin and secured it with one hand while the other calmly led her horse through the path.

"You keep looking at that hideous thing." Juoano's voice caught Tenten away from her wandering concentration and she stared at the father who pouted at his daughter who sat in front of him. Together they rode one horse and Mao was currently inspecting the jewelled betrothal necklace.

The young girl's expression was soft and her smile still hadn't disappeared since they had last left. Tenten was surprised to remember how relaxed their society was. Marriage came quickly once their body commanded the biological requirements for creating a family and once the village deemed the couple to be sustainable and giving to the village.

Accordingly their wedding was to be held _once_ Mao came back.

At first they insisted that Tenten ought to be there but Tenten knew better than stall _another_ wedding. She still remembered Alexander insisting to marry his loved one once he landed. She assumed that the male's strong commitment to family meant that he stalled it until his mother, brother and father would be back from Kumogakure.

It meant that Tenten had to settle her issues with the Eastern Forest before Lady Esther would be free to leave.

"I'm so happy papa! Thanks for approving it." Mao finally responded and flashed her father a smile that made him flush.

"Well, what can I say? He did good this time… not as good as me… not as good as what I know you deserve but I want you to be happy." His scattered mumbles caused both Mao and Tenten to giggle.

"How much further?" Mao asked.

"Another day or so." Juoano promised and was confirmed by Tenten.

"Another day." Tenten whispered beneath her breath to ready herself for the events that will begin once they reached the Eastern Forest.

She recapped what her itinerary for her arrival would be: get the rest of her chakra seals unlocked on top of retrieving the rest of her appearance before settling in for further training. Much after, she'd either hand over the report and head back to Juoano's village or stay a little longer in Konohagakure to say goodbye. However, she'd need an awful amount of convincing.

With a final sigh, she continued on their travel and listened to Juoano recount another embarrassing of Mao when she was a mere babe.

1

Isaiah watched his mother from a far as she went onto her daily meditation. In truth, he knew she was up to _more_ than just centering her thoughts. Instead she preoccupied her time by scouting the nearby vicinity for Tenten with her third eye.

"Your mother is foolish."

Isaiah turned to look over his shoulder as his grandmother approached him. Unlike most grandmothers, she didn't look a day over 50 and could move as if she were 30.

"You two shouldn't be here. You both should be at Alexander's wedding. That poor old gruff has to postpone his rites as a man for the sake of his mother. It's been a near 7 months now."

Isaiah glanced back at his mother and didn't acknowledge much of his grandmother's views. The harsh words hadn't surprised him. He had actually been expecting it and was surprised that she held off on any comments till now. He commended her considering how tough it must have been to hold back her tongue.

Renee had always been extremely conservative as the Head Priestess.

However, even he knew that there were those who were far _more_ conservative than she ever could be.

"You know _amachi_." Isaiah finally said. "Alexander _could_ have gotten married earlier when we didn't have this mess to deal with." He hoped to appease her irritation. "And you don't have to worry about him holding off his rites as man. He already devoured Elizabeth's flower a long time ago before marriage." He held off the last two sentences and clamped his mouth shut. He would be an idiot to betray his brother's trust like that.

"I don't understand why outsider's have to hold off marriage. I was married when I turned 16 and still pursued my duties as Head Priestess with full capacity."

"The outside world is _…"_ He paused to think of a proper word. "Complicated." He decided. "You should visit father's property at Is."

A long pause was formed between the two before his grandmother shook her head. "Perhaps when I'm old and all the hairs on my head turn grey."

"I don't think that's too far off." Isaiah said. "You could join us for Alexander's wedding."

Another long pause.

"Perhaps I shall visit my great grandchildren once Lisa properly takes her roll as Head Priestess."

"Now it just sounds like you're make excuses."

"I'm not making excuses. I'm dedicated to my role and responsibility, something that your mother failed to uphold."

Esther jolted from her spot and her eyes widened. Isaiah winced at his mother's violent response to his grandmother's words. He glanced at his grandmother, expecting her expression to be moved with compassion but rather, she remained stoic.

"Quidel is here." Esther announced and stood. Her head was turned towards the sky and she held her gaze there confidently until the magnificent bird similar to Qweche emerged into view. It flew in confident circles before lowering itself to be near Esther.

When the bird landed, it was obvious that it was younger, smaller and slimmer than Qweche. Nevertheless, it was the same breed. It squawked for eager attention and Esther was there to cater to its needs. Isaiah went away to retrieve its meal and came back to see that his mother was unfolding a letter.

"It's probably her children begging her to come back so they could start the wedding already." Renee berated but remained where she stood to confirm her suspicions.

"What does it say?" Isaiah asked, knowing that it was from his siblings. He settled the dead dear in front of the bird and with greedy ambition, it ate to it's content.

"Your sisters are asking how we got rid of your father's curse." Esther stated.

"No mention of the wedding?"

"They mentioned it." Esther said quickly. "I suppose 7 months has been an incredibly long time." She agreed with a sigh. "I'll make a quick response to this letter and answer the rest in person. We should head back."

"You're giving up?" Isaiah asked.

"There isn't much we can do without Tenten here and if anything, mother is the one who promised to unseal the rest. I _don't_ need to be here. What I _do_ need to be is a mother." Esther walked into her hut and began to gather her things. "We'll be back here after the wedding." She mentioned on her way out for her mother to hear. "I'll tell you how it goes." She then glanced at her son. "Pack your things. I'll need to say goodbye to my father and brother before we leave."

Isaiah watched his mother disappear behind the other homes before he ducked into his hut to do as his mother had asked of him.

1

As they neared the end of the road, Tenten could see the familiar moss-covered cottage that signalled they were nearing the Eastern Forest. With a mile ahead, they could see the thick cluster of trees that marked their destination.

The air was thicker here. A deep inhale clouded your noise with the dense and moist chill of the air. To some it was nauseating, to many, it was refreshing.

With gathered excitement, Tenten rapped the reigns in her hand and with a stern voice commanded her horse to fasten his pace. Behind her, Juoano also instructed his horse to do the same.

At first they hadn't noticed the two figures marching out of the forest until they had neared. Tenten's heart dropped upon recognizing that it was Lady Esther and her son Isaiah. "Lady Esther!" She shouted, slapping her reigns again to encourage her horse to go forth.

The two figures glanced up and stopped in their tracks. Instead, Isaiah jumped in front of his mother and unsheathed his sword. His otherwise stoic expression shifted into anger.

"Wait, it's me!" Tenten informed them once she was a few meters away from them. She jumped off her horse and proceeded on foot. Juoano scolded her quickly but Tenten raised a confident hand to let Juoano know that she was all right. "It's me, Tenten."

"Tenten?" Lady Esther peeked from behind her son who hadn't relaxed from his guarded stance.

"The Tenten that I know processes brown eyes not green. Neither is her hair that colour." Isaiah informed and tightened his grip over the handle of his sword the closer they approached. "You look nothing like her."

Tenten raised both her hands in the air to show her non-threatening motive but Isaiah never lowered his weapon. Instead, his eyes wandered to the companions behind her. The male already had his bow and arrow pointed their way while the younger female had her hands rested on her sides, no doubt ready to pull out her weapon.

Seeing that Isaiah had no confidence in her truth, Tenten looked at Esther with pleading eyes. "Please, it _is_ I." Tenten begged.

Lady Esther wavered in her expression before taking a moment of breath to collect herself. It appeared that she was reading Tenten's chakra signal and Tenten was more than glad for her to do so. By the sigh that Esther let out, Tenten knew that she had finished examining her.

"She is what she says she is." Esther confirmed and lay a comforting had on her son's shoulder. Hearing this from his mother, Isaiah relaxed and sheathed his sword. Juoano and Mao also withdrew from their stance and joined Tenten's side.

"You look different." Isaiah commented but let smiled. "You chopped off your hair?" He observed and proceeded to run his hand over her head.

"I couldn't bear staring at a colour not belonging to me."

"What did they do to you?"

"They changed my appearance." Tenten told them and turned around to reveal the mark placed on her neck. She could feel their close breath by her neck and a cold finger prick at the mark. She shuddered at their touch but remained standing until they were done.

"We should head back." Esther announced. "Let's close this chapter once and for all." She turned her gaze at the two who had accompanied Tenten and smiled at them. "Much like what my son had asked, what happened?"

"It's a long story." Juoano said and itched the back of his head.

"That's good. The walk through the forest is at least 3 hours. That's more than plenty to catch me up."

1

"Sister dear. I see that you've missed us already." It was Luke, the current chief of Havilah and Esther's oldest brother who greeted their arrival.

"I couldn't stay away from you." She went along with the joke and approached her brother to hug him.

"I'm assuming it's because Tenten's back."

Tenten's eyes widened at the mention of her name. The two shared a glance before Luke turned to his sister.

"You were able to tell faster than my son! Maybe sitting on that throne all day _hadn't_ rotted your brain."

"Oh please little sister, don't insult your son so casually. He's smarter than most and besides, if I had to jump in to protect you I certainly would not bother to read their Chakra immediately."

"I wasn't insulting my son, I was insulting you."

"I know. I just like seeing you flustered." He pinched his sister's cheeks and ignored the outsider's puzzled display of affection the two shared. "Anyways," Luke said and properly addressed them. "I'd like to inform you that mother already had a premonition that this would happen and is awaiting all of you in the hall to do the unsealing."

"Nervous Tenten?" Juoano asked in a hushed voice.

"I am but I've been waiting for this my whole life." Her face was stern and her gait was tense when they marched to the conservative castle of Havilah. Her gaze was so fiercely poured onto the building that she failed to notice the crowd that had watched them.

However Juoano and Mao noticed. They had never felt so uncomfortable until then.

"I don't sense Chakra from one of the outsiders. Are you certain he's a descendant of our people?" Luke's observation drew out the attention of both Juoano and Mao with a jolt.

"He is." Esther quickly expressed and shuffled in front of Juoano to mask his shocked expression. "He's like Tenten's mother. No chakra."

"Yes, I'm his daughter." Mao agreed and jumped in. "I have chakra." She pulled the lid of the gourd attached to her waist and spun some water from it's jug to demonstrate her point.

"Right." Luke said. "I see." His tone suggested that he didn't believe them but his unchanged expression showed that he didn't care. The walk to the building wasn't long but it felt like an eternity for both father and daughter. They were grateful once they were inside and tucked away from the crowd.

Close to the throne room, Renee was already in her garments with two old women in formation. The other's present was the Former Chief Titus and his daughter-in-law.

Each step they took to the throne diminished Tenten's confidence. Her memories of the past: those carried by her mother and those carried by her young self pierced her soul deeply. She could feel her palms sweat when she recalled the searing pain felt by her back.

Lady Esther noticed and instantly placed a hand over Tenten's shoulder to reassure the girl. She looked at her mentor with gratitude before willing her confidence back when she stood before the Chakra Guardians.

"Where are the kids?" Luke asked his wife when he approached.

"They're with their cousins." She informed and leaned against him once he rested his arm over her shoulder. Their casual exchange calmed Tenten. Perhaps this wouldn't be as painful as before.

"You look different Tenten." The Former Chieftain Titus loudly announced.

"It's a seal." Renee answered flatly. "I'm assuming you'd like me to undo a portion of it?"

"If you could." Tenten asked as she knelt before them. Her eyes remained rested on the foot of the Head Priestess. Surrounding Renee, Tenten could see the intricate patterns already drawn out.

"I'll see what I could do." Renee said. "I don't like to waste time. Shall we start?"

"Yes please." Tenten answered for them.

"Then everyone who is not part of the procedure, get off my platform." Juoano and Mao looked down to realize that they were standing on it. They stumbled off and joined Lady Esther and her son.

"Will this hurt?" Tenten asked and glanced at the woman who only smirked.

"Not so much for you as it will for me. If I die Titus," She addressed her husband. "Know that I love you."

"Don't joke of such a thing love."

"I rarely joke." Yet her smirk remained. "And that goes for the kids too. I _know_ that I'm not the most pleasant person to be around but that doesn't change the fact that I love all of you."

"Mother you're exaggerating." Luke insisted.

"Hush. Let me begin." The similar drumming of the metal staffs slammed rhythmically on the wooden ground. It's echo filled the wide and tall room. It was strong enough for Tenten to recall how uncertain she felt in the past. Much like now, she didn't know what lay ahead.

Her gaze remained on the ground and she could feel Renee approach her back like when she was a child. Again, Renee hand gripped Tenten's shoulder while the other poked at the back. Tenten shuttered and fought against her desire to flee. Instead she bit her lips in anticipation.

Much like then, Renee's fingers dug into Tenten's back.

Tenten felt like her spine was being pulled and it drew her breath away. Tenten's eyes widened from the piercing pain and before she could scream, the pain was replaced by the tidal wave of energy her body experienced.

The first seal that broke summoned a large gust of air around Tenten that pushed everything back within her vicinity. Drops of sweat feel from her forehead and she forced herself to look at her audience. Aside from their horrified expressions, they were all _okay_. It was most likely the thick veil of water that Lady Esther had placed between them.

However for the other two older women who were too concentrated on the rite, had no opportunity to cast protection around them and they were covered in cuts. Beads of liquid touched Tenten's thigh and when her eyes gazed upon it, she realized that it was dark red.

She looked up and saw that Renee was covered in deep cuts far worst due to her close vicinity. The old woman grinned to reassure Tenten that she was okay. A streak of blood leaked from the corner of Renee's mouth and she supressed her cough before proceeding with the next seal.

This time the ground shook violently and the heavy earthquake forced the earth below them to crack open. Tenten gasped but it seemed that King Titus wasn't just there to observe but to help.

The large oaf of a man was knelt with his palm pressed against the floor. It was hard to tell at first considering the amount of power ravishing the area but by the looks of it, he was mending every crack the earth made in response to the unsealing. If it wasn't for him, Tenten was certain she would have fallen through the floor by now.

She couldn't quite say the same for Renee. The woman behind her let out an agonizing yell and Tenten looked over her shoulder to see that the ground below her had opened and closed over her feet. "Maybe we should-"

"Shush!" Renee cut and with a battle cry, she pulled her hand from Tenten's back. With it, a muddied orb cleared into a pale green before Renee forced it back into Tenten. Much like the first seal being released, Tenten felt a powerful surge of energy zap through her body. "Last one." Renee announced and proceeded to pull out the final smudged orb.

This time, water came bursting out of the cracks of the Earth and abruptly came splashing up like a powerful tidal wave. Before Renee's arms were ripped from Tenten's shoulders, the water stilled and calmed. Tenten's eyes remained shut while her mouth clamped down to hold the small amount of breath she salvaged.

She could feel the violent shift of waters spin around her.

There was a battle between the strong dancing by her feet and the motionless meditation by her head. In the heat of the struggle, she felt her chest tighten as her lungs begged for air. In a desperate attempt, she coughed out the little remaining oxygen she had left. She could hear the bubbles fleetingly run in a fast paced race to reach the end of the mark so it could join the air once again.

And Tenten wished to also feel the air before she felt herself lose consciousness over her body. This wasn't like the time she had slept in the ancient waters of Yoku Omoideno but more so reminded her of the stormy seas that she was so deathly afraid of. The fear crippled her, dooming her to accept her fate, so she slumped into the darkness.

She could feel herself fall into unconsciousness before a shred of gurgling rush of water split apart. Despite the much-needed air, the shouts of protests that called after her began to dim. Until a swell of energy burst from her back and rippled throughout her entire body, awakening her.

Tenten's eyes shot open from the overwhelming force through her. It pulsed through her veins and spread beyond her fingertips but stopped shortly when she felt bile of water charge up her stomach and out her mouth. In a raging fit of coughs, she covered her mouth but felt that water had leaked from her nose too.

A persistent and bold slap on her back assisted her in spitting out the contents her lungs had taken in. Tenten glanced at her aid and was not surprised to see Mao by her side. Juoano knelt nearby, ready to help in any way. "I thought you were going to die!" Juoano said in a strained tone that was tied in strong anger.

"Relax." It was Renee's harsh response that drew the three's attention. "She didn't have it as bad as I did."

They couldn't deny it. The old woman was scathed in cuts, nearly crippled, soaking wet and lay above a puddle of blood. She lay in the arms of her husband with her two daughters, one related by blood while the other related by marital law, laboured over her health. Globs of water covered her most critical wounds to heal them.

Her pitiful state humbled Tenten and the young woman was moved to bow before her elder.

"Thank you!"

At first Renee stuttered but scoffed it off. "Why are you thanking me? You wouldn't have been in this mess if I hadn't sealed you in the first place."

"I-it was done in the request of my mother for that-" Tenten paused and gritted her teeth. "For that you have no fault."

A long pause.

"Come here." Renee said. Tenten glanced up in confusion. "Don't make me repeat myself." Tenten crawled towards the woman. She sat there obediently, wide-eyed and wondering what it was that Renee had wanted.

The older woman extended an arm, reaching for Tenten who had flinched from her touch. "I haven't got enough strength to keep my arm up all day!" Renee snapped. Titus reached out and supported his wife by lending his own arm for her to rest on. "Come closer." Renee repeated and Tenten did.

Renee's fingers reached for the back of Tenten's neck and traced the bumps of the seal. She pressed it softly before allowing her arm to lie limply over husbands. "It's been done. Whatever I could do. Now let me rest for a long time and don't let anyone bother me." She begged her husband.

"I promise." Titus had whispered and drew her close.

Tenten rose quickly, excited to see how her new face looked like. She eagerly looked for a reflective surface but Mao stopped her.

"Here." Mao said, looking through her satchel to pull out a locket. When Tenten had pried it open, Hisana's eyes met hers.

Shaken and slightly confused, she went on to examine the rest of her face through a different angle and realized what Renee had done. The shape of her jaw, her nose, her lips were all _her_. Otherwise, her eyes and the colour of her hair still resembled Hisana.

"I think that's all." Esther said, interrupting Tenten's slight disappointment.

Tenten looked away from the mirror, closing its clasp with a held sigh before she turned to see Lady Esther rise from her knelt position. She had been attending one of the older women who had been involved in the unsealing process. It seemed that all of them made it out alive except they were gravely injured.

"If anything, we should head out shortly." Esther responded while she stretched. "I've already sent my children a letter telling them that we'd be there shortly. We can't delay anymore time considering we still have to drop by and pick up my husband." She approached the three outsiders.

Esther's hand rested on her sides and the closer she approached, the more evident it was that she was exhausted. Her stance was slightly slumped, her chest moved rapidly in correspondence to her quick breathing and there were beads of sweat forming over her forehead.

"I'll gather extra supplies for Tenten." Isaiah offered before leaving.

"As for you two." Esther's eyes moved to Juoano and Mao. "I insist that you rest here before you take another travel. It must've been exhausting."

"It has been." Juoano responded meekly.

"I reassure you that my brother will take care of any accommodations that you need."

"I will?" Luke prodded with his arms crossed. The two siblings glared at each other before Luke broke into a chuckle. "I joke sister dearest. I promise that I will." Esther responded with a sheepish smile before she joined in the laughter.

"How do you feel?" Esther asked, turning to Tenten.

"Powerful." The young woman responded and clenched her fists.

"It'll wear off eventually once your body is accustomed to it but that's all and well. Throughout our travel back to Konoha, Isaiah and I will train you. We leave in half an hour. Meet me by the village entrance until then. Understood?"

"Understood!"

123

Golden yellows radiated from above and glistened onto the cobblestone streets below. Each lamppost was tied with pastel colours of ribbons and every spot of open dirt was covered with freshly bloomed flowers. The backdrop of these spindling dancers was a neatly trimmed shrub of bright green.

Many volunteers and workers worked hard to maintain the beauty of Is for the next few days. After all, their lord's son, Alexander, would be wed off. This meant that that the town was in joyous celebration as they too set up appearances to befit the castle's extra grooming. Partly because many of the guests would be staying in their inns and would spend their money on the local goods of Is.

Melodious songs were constantly in the air, whether they were violinist practicing for the reception, street performers hoping to gain traction from the growing amount of visitors or maids humming tunes as they worked.

The atmosphere was too _bright_ for Neji's liking but he had to admit that it's influence on him was _good_. The weather for the past few weeks reflected the lightness in his heart despite the chaos storming in his mind. His family here made sure of that.

All the family that he had ever known was his late father, late mother, Hiashi, Hinata and Hanabi. The rest of his extended family dwindled in the background while he ignored the ones who actively pursued a relationship with him. Simply because they'd often fawn over him in hopes of getting married to the crown. But being with Elder Yulie's family felt different.

One being that they were all older than him and their protective instinct towards him was uncanny yet inviting. During the dinner, the four sisters would bicker back and forth over how he ought to present his "undying love" for Tenten in an attempt to guide him. Alexander, who was used to their far-from-etiquette conversations, only joined in laughter. It was comforting to see how relaxed they were with one another and with him in the room.

It reminded him of his home with the RIC but this was different.

There was a certain layer of untapped familial love that he received and gave.

They were older and from what he had seen, they could all take care of themselves considering their long history with the Eastern Forest, but it didn't stop his growing desire to protect them as well.

Yet they never failed to surpass his expectation. Much like now.

The brightness of the day shined through the tall windows of the dining room. The servants were already up and about, setting up the cutlery with Paul instructing them. The smells of freshly cooked food wafted in the air but for now, it seemed that everyone was sipping on tea or coffee for starters.

Fresh flowers in their blue porcelain vases were centered on the fine linen cloth on the table. The aesthetic extended to the pillars on the walls, the grand and unlit fireplace, the intricate framed mirrors and paintings hung. It had a similar look to the castle he had grown up in but there was no trace of malice in the atmosphere.

Alexander was seated at the end of the table with a newspaper in hand while his sisters remained quiet, as per usual in the morning. Yet they never failed to greet one another in cheering hello's and good morn's. Kimiko and Reina were the only ones who appeared to be truly awake.

"Good morning." Neji greeted back with a genuine smile and sat down beside Abigail who let out a large yawn.

"Neji," Alexander said, grabbing his attention. "How has your headaches been?"

"They've been better." Neji commented and touched his forehead. He hadn't realized it had stopped until he had made mention. Lady Lisa had done what she could only to ease the stinging he felt but it wasn't long until his uncle dialled up the pain.

"That's good. It probably means that my letter has finally reached King Hiashi." He said this without looking up from the paper. "That's good, I wouldn't want you suffering through the wedding." Alex smiled and handed the paper to Paul. Neji's eyes widened for a second as he stared at his older cousin.

"What did you say?"

"I made mention that my wedding is happening this weekend and that you're already here to represent the crown. Uncle Hiashi probably relented his little punishment."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it." There was a drawn out silence from those seated on the table but those who served made merry conversations as they set the food down.

"The big day is approaching!" One of their older maids, whom Neji had recognized to be Seona, said while she refilled Alexander's cup with coffee.

"It's long overdue." Alexander agreed and reached out to touch his future wife's hand. She giggled in return.

"I think that goes without saying, brother dearest." Reina commented with an eye roll. Everyone, whether they were seated or standing, laughed at her comment, agreeing loudly and vocally. Kimiko was the loudest who happily exclaimed "Amen"! In response to the teasing, Alexander's cheeks reddened.

"I think everyone needs to stop rubbing it in."

"You had this one coming." Seona said loudly while she refilled Neji's own cup of coffee.

"Right. I know. I just can't wait until all of you stop mentioning it once we seal the deal."

"I don't know brother." Abigail butted in. "Everyone will just ask you about having children." Alexander groaned but didn't protest her observation. He knew she was right.

"That's fine." Kimiko said sweetly. "I hope to start having children as soon as we're wed. Just start counting 9 months from now."

"Our parents would be delighted to finally be grandparents!" Reina joined their giggling. "Oh, I can't wait to spoil my little nephews and nieces. How much would we be expecting?"

"2." They both responded calmly.

"Lame." Reina pouted. "Why not a big family like ours?"

"We both agreed that it'd be too much." Alexander shrugged. "I've gotta worry about you lot _and_ my kids. It's all too much for one man if I'm soon to be the lord of this province if dad doesn't come back soon."

"Speaking of, where are they?" Lisa asked. Neji remembered how they'd received the letter just a week ago from Lady Esther. She had stated she'd like to handle the issue with his seal in person and because of this, they may proceed with finalizing the wedding. Unfortunately, there was no word of Tenten.

"They should be here three days from now in the late evening." Paul informed them. "According to our sources, they've already docked."

"That's good. The in-laws should be arriving a day before they do for the dress rehearsals."

123

Warmth entangled her as she stepped onto the bow of the ship. Her pale green eyes wandered over the dock that they approached. The sea always smelled of salt but for Tenten, it felt different. It felt like Konoha - the place that she once considered home.

A wave of nostalgia washed over her as her heart ached to be comforted.

Indeed she was reminded of home but she was also reminded of betrayal. Its fragrance was deathly sweet like a thick spray of perfume used to cover up the poignant odour of decay.

Wanting to focus her mind on something else, she neared Isaiah and together they watched the city draw closer. "You'll be okay." Isaiah said after some time. His comment forced her out of her wandering thoughts and she glanced at him. His expression was as serene as the sea and his cool blue eyes reflected the bright sky.

"Is it bad that I don't _feel_ okay?" Her eyes drifted back towards the city but focused on the castle that she had spent all of her teenage years in.

"It's not bad. I'd be concerned if you _didn't_ feel anything." A long pause. "Are you really going back to Kumogakure after you make your goodbyes?"

She didn't respond.

She couldn't respond.

Although her mind insisted on a confident yes, her heart made her stutter and quiet. So instead she settled on half an answer for now. "I'll have to go back eventually." She said. "One way or another, in a few days or a few years. I _will_ go back."

"From my observation, I think you'd be happier here." His words stung Tenten and her recoil made that obvious. "You're loyal and you're a soldier at heart. It's a rare quality in women and I don't think you're meant to _just_ be a hunter or a teacher. You have an ability to lead and to do great things... you can't do great things in a small village. Believe me, I'm the same."

At first Tenten wanted to lash out and exclaim that he knew nothing but she had to admit that he knew more than the common person. He was a general of the army, had men under him, was tied to the Eastern Forest and lived half his life there. He understood those pieces but he didn't understand the other.

"I was never truly a soldier." Her words came out softly. "I was never _really_ part of RIC. They just used me because of my ties to Kumogakure and they abused the fact that I am a woman. I was nothing mor-"

"You're wrong." Isaiah interrupted. "So what? The king didn't really believe that you're part of RIC, everyone else did. _You_ did. Neji and Naruto, from my observation, have respected you as a RIC. Even Sai did. Otherwise they wouldn't have put you to the task. Yeah, you had to deal with really hard shit but that's because you have to fight 10 times harder just to prove your worth as a woman. Guess what? You did. And that's what it is to fight the fight, to be a soldier and to do things for the sake of the kingdom.

"What you did was far beyond what any of my men could do. What you did was equal to the history of many RIC. You hid your identity so that you could save the pregnant princess, _queen_ of Kumogakure. You fought for what was good and you had to suffer for the good. That's what it is to be a soldier."

Tenten could not respond, either by will or want. She simply had no words to offer and Isaiah chose not to pry. Instead, he remained there until his mother called him. Thus, Tenten was left with her thoughts and spoke no other word to Isaiah except for a half-hearted goodbye once they parted at the dock. After all, she'd see them much later for Alexander's wedding.

The market stalls on the road towards the castle were as vibrant and loud with a variety of different smells. One particular stall drew her attention. It's bright colour and sweet taste was something that she could not obtain from the cold tundra of Kumogakure.

"One please." She said to the merchant and exchanged a coin for one.

"Why one?" The plump female merchant exclaimed. "Why not a whole batch?" Tenten didn't take long to ponder before she accepted the deal. With a single gold coin she was able to pay for a dozen. Their exchange was quick and hassle free – a breather compared to the desperate state of The Citadel in Kumogakure.

Tenten impatiently took hold of one and ate it as she made her way to the barracks. She knew that she looked odd wearing a cloak in such warm weather but she enjoyed the heat.

It was drastically different than the prickling cold up north where her body and soul had hardened. Here, she could already feel the rays of the sun kiss away her frozen heart.

Even her gait had a slight skip to it.

She had missed this place and despite her bitterness, all her memories that began to spring were nothing but pleasant. It made her future goodbye all the more sorrowful. The thought made her pensive but nonetheless she continued on with confidence.

The tall brown brick walls that protected the soldiers soon came into view. She could already envision the dedicated soldiers train and Choji excitedly working in the kitchen. Many soldiers, as expected of Tenten, guarded the sturdy wooden gates but her determination to enter did not waiver.

"Katsu." Tenten greeted the officer supervising the gate. He stood at the top yet it did not prevent her from seeing his expression. Her familiar voice instantly surprised him and his widened eyes only solidified his recognition.

"Tenten?" He asked. "W-wait." He exclaimed and disappeared from view. He later resurfaced when the gate opened. "Is it really you?"

"Not entirely." She said and lifted her hood to reveal a slightly altered version of herself. "It's a long story that you can ask the other RIC."

"They all said that you were on a long mission." He said as he led her inside.

"I was." She responded. "I'm just here to hand in my report." Her answer seemed to suggest the underlying meaning of her words that Katsu was able to grasp.

"You're not thinking of leaving are you?"

She didn't respond and that alone answered Katsu's question. He didn't say much right away but he was clearly disheartened. "I guess you managed to slip away before they solidified the rules of servitude before leaving."

"Lucky me." She muttered. They exchanged no further words when they reached the three-story home. It's pillars and garden sparked a bundle of emotion but its affects on her couldn't stand against the wall that she had built throughout the past month. "If you'd excuse me." She said to Katsu after examining her past home.

He responded with a strong salute and left her side to return to post.

Despite his disappearance, Tenten didn't knock right away. It seemed that she couldn't but the loud bark from inside meant that she didn't need to. She froze and could not find control over her body when Kiba opened the door.

"Can I help you?"

Of course he wouldn't recognize her.

"I-I'm home." She said after much force.

Her answer shocked Kiba and the beast master glanced at his dog. Akamaru wagged his tail with excitement and he reached up to lick her face. This time, she was ready and held a strong stance to support the weight of the giant war dog.

"Tenten?" Kiba said.

1

Their living room was just as she had remembered it to be. Its pastel colours, neatly aligned décor and clean atmosphere felt as empty and as lonely as her memories served her.

Still, there was a sense of uninterrupted peace. She felt safe within these walls.

"Are you certain?!" She heard the loud shouts of Lee's muffled voice coming from outside. The noise that followed after was the clicks of the door unlatching and their collection of shuffles from her colleagues and Akamaru.

"Akamaru and I were able to draw out her scent. It _is her_." Kiba insisted. Their voices were more clear and distinguishable than a short while ago.

Tenten held her breath. An image of Neji flashed into her mind and she felt her heart race at the thought of encountering the pearl-eyed male that had appeared in her dreams more often than not. But pursed lips turned slightly downward when she realized that he wasn't in the group of men who entered.

"Tenten!" Lee exclaimed with relief. Even Naruto who hadn't said a word, looked genuinely pleased. He approached her and easily picked her up for a hug. "Sai was right! You look different but you don't necessarily look like Hisana or you. And your long hair…" He looked disappointed.

"Throughout my journey, there have been those who unsealed Sai's jutsu one by one." She explained and stood to show them the vanishing characters on the back of her neck. "I'll need to find Sai. Where is he?"

The three glanced at each other.

"He's attending a wedding." Kiba answered slowly. "At the castle of Is."

"Of course he would be." Tenten muttered.

"Neji is also there." Lee added causing Tenten's eyes to widen for a second.

"I see." Tenten whispered. "We can discuss that later, we have more pressing matters to discuss." She sat down and encouraged them to take the couch across from her. They promptly took their seats and digested the condensed version of Tenten's story. They also chose not to bring up the fact that she clearly left some details out.

"Here's a full report." She slid the folded paper on the coffee table, beside the bowl of fruit that she had bought a while ago. "I doubt it'll be much use. I heard that King Kakashi had already received word of the bids and had sent an army to march its walls. Shortly after, he had gathered all the lords of Kumogakure and demanded strict disciplinarily action of the sons. Wanatabe mentioned it briefly when I was with him and since he already claimed what he had wanted, he wasn't involved." She stopped to catch her breath and mentally prepared herself to express the next following words. "Besides that, I'd like to make my formal resignation."

Lee gasped. Kiba's mouth gaped open. Akamaru whined. But Naruto remained expressionless.

"Are you certain?!" Lee nearly shouted. "Don't do this. You are part of us! I know what you've gone through was hard but RIC make that sacrifice!" His words were coherent rambles of desperation. It was pitiful of a Royal Inner Circle to display such an attitude but Lee didn't care.

"What will you do after?" Naruto asked softly, finally speaking.

"I'll go back to my village and remain all my days there."

"Tenten, please." Lee begged. "You belong with us. You're a RIC! That makes you part of us and part of Konoha!"

Tenten's brows furrowed in anger and the growing fester of bitterness spewed out into harsh words. "Do you really think I would be foolish enough to believe your words?"

"What do you mean?" Kiba interjected. "You _are_ part of us."

"They're telling the truth." Naruto's words surprised Tenten. "I know the king put you up to this because of your gender and decent skill but after everything you've gone through, you've proven your worth. You're worthy of your title, to those present and to the RIC of the past. Think on it. I won't accept your resignation unless Neji accepts."

"Alright." Tenten said, standing. "I understand. I would like to request a horse, if you don't mind assisting me."

"Are you not going to say goodbye to Hinata?" Naruto asked, changing the conversation. His casual address of the princess caused Lee to make a funny face. Kiba only frowned.

"Can you tell her for me? I don't think I'd be able to tell her myself."

For once Naruto's mask crumbled as his expression saddened. "I'll have to inform the king immediately…" He said. "But for you, I shall hold that off. As for Hinata, I will only tell her once Neji has accepted your resignation."

"Thank you." Tenten said and rose.

"Wait, where are you off to? Don't you want to rest?" Lee asked.

"There is a wedding that won't wait for me. I should go but I'll see you all when I come back to I clean out my room." There was a heavy silence while the tension remained even when Tenten left. Kiba was the one who offered to walk her to the stables.

"You should have fought for her!" Lee lashed out in anger. His first insubordination surprised Naruto. The bright blue eyes calmed once he had time to process his comrade's emotions.

"Trust me Lee." Naruto responded. "Neji won't let her leave this country, otherwise I would have fought." He sighed and stood. "Besides, his words will carry more weight than all of our words combined."

"How do you know?" Lee's expression softened but there was that same plea heard in his question.

"I just do." Naruto said and looked at the front door. "I just do."

123

The springtime flowers swayed in the gentle breeze and with their faint fragrance blending in the air, Tenten felt welcomed by their elegant greeting. Her calmed reaction was not that rare as many of the other visitors of Is surely felt the same.

Many of them traveled far and wide to witness the unity between two important houses. The citizens of Is took this as an advantage and their hard work was displayed immaculately.

Along the stone road, Tenten approached a pastel carriage most likely carrying a noble family.

"When's the wedding starting?" She had asked a chauffer who held the reigns of two brown horses.

"In an hour or two." He informed her after glancing at his pocket watch. "Surely you don't plan on attending in that attire?" Tenten looked at her muddied appearance and brown stained clothing.

"I hope not. Thanks by the way." She said before forcing her horse to quicken his speed. She led the horse and weaved through the crowd but was stalled by the castle gates. Hastily she showed a letter that Esther had written whiles back for this instance.

"This is not an invitation." The guard glanced at the papyrus before handing it back. He ignored her protest and ushered the next guests to reveal their invitation.

It was wrapped in a light blue ribbon, the cursive written in golden ink and scattered with tasteful drawings of patterns. " _This_ is an invitation." He flashed it at Tenten and gave it back to the original owner.

"Look at the signature and the seal! Use your eyes and look!" She insisted.

The sudden commotion drew the attention of one particular worker who stepped in to intercede. When he neared, Tenten recognized it to be Paul. Immediately she called out for him but his expression remained unmoved.

"Tenten?" Paul asked. "You resemble her but you aren't." He stretched out his hand and accepted the letter from Esther. His eyes ran down the sheet. "This is Lady Esther alright." Paul sighed. "Come on. We ought to get you out of that mucky outfit. Reina would throw a fit to see you in such disarray." The old butler signalled the guards to part for her entrance. "I must wander about but when you enter in the castle ask for Mari and tell her your name. She will help you."

"Thanks Paul."

He simply shrugged with a grunt.

1

The trees were tall and it's thick leaves acted as a canopy over the seats assembled in the clearing of the forest. There were enough cushioned seats for 200 well-dressed attendants. The aisle of which the bride would walk through was covered in a white carpet.

Although many would assume it would easily attract dirt, the aisle was lined with light blue ribbons to prevent the attendants from stepping on it. Large vases of flowers acted as a large blockage for anyone trying to go through the pew. The only way to sit was to enter through the outer sides.

The gentle breeze swayed the hanging flowers tied from above and they appeared to glisten under the sun's rays that poked through the foliage.

Neji had never heard of an outdoor wedding before but Mother Nature's beauty outdid any fancy banquet hall. When the crowd behind him gathered, he figured that he ought to take a seat.

Seated at the front on the right side, he instantly recognized Elder Yulie and his three daughters: Lisa, Margaret and Abigail. They were instantly recognized in the mass of his distant relatives that sat behind them.

He decided to sit by them but stopped when he recognized a dark-haired and ill skinned male _smiling_ and _laughing_ at the words of a blond beside him. Neji approached the two instead and sat beside the male.

"Sai." Neji called out. He could see his colleague flinch before turning around to face him.

"Neji. I hadn't expected you to be here." A false smile replaced Sai's rare and honest one that he had just a second ago. Neji scoffed.

"I have a hard time believing that." He said lowly so that Sai's lady friend wouldn't hear. She was beautiful, far more than the average woman, from what Neji observed. Her eyes were a captivating blue far lighter than the sea and her hair was a rare type of platinum blonde that he hadn't seen often.

She was different than all the other nobles he neared to gain information. Could it be a woman that Sai fancied?

"Her name is Ino." Sai introduced, stretching his smile. Neji felt an underlining threat behind his comrades' painfully pleasant smile. Whoever she was, her good relationship with Sai allowed her to lean over to see whom it was that Sai had spoken to.

"Pleasure to meet you." She extended her hand and Neji received it with a short peck. "I know quite a bit about you." She confessed, earning a suspicious glare from Neji. "Choji is a very good friend of mine."

"Oh." Neji said as his expression softened. "He often mentioned how he had an important friend he visited in town. I'm assuming that's you?"

"I guess." She shrugged but by her slightly embarrassed expression, it was clear that she was.

"How did you come to know one another?" Neji asked, not bothering to mask his curiosity. Sai was never a man to chase relationship – he had thought that it was _detrimental_ , that it didn't _suit_ someone like him.

"It's a long story." She giggled behind her gloved hand before glancing at Sai. The usually calloused man relaxed at her attention and smiled. "Perhaps I can tell you once we've had a few drinks at the reception."

"I look foreword to it." Neji grinned. She was bold, something _similar_ to Sai but different. He had never known of a woman to opening confess that she liked to drink. "I must ask how have you two come to know of this wedding?"

"Sai used to work with the groom." Ino informed him, knowing that Sai wasn't one to talk and he didn't seem to mind that she talked for him. In fact, he seemed pleased by it. "He did sketches of the bodies operated and in turn, Sai learned a lot about anatomy."

Neji raised his eyebrow.

"For my _drawings_." Sai explained, stretching the last word. Neji narrowed his eyes suspiciously but accepted his reasoning.

 _I bet knowing the human anatomy is really useful for an assassin also._

He kept his thoughts to himself and was ready to engage in another conversation until a woman of scandalously short hair walked by their row. This was Tenten! The shape of her strong and toned body invigorated his hopes to see her.

Lady Esther and Sir Isaiah had mentioned that she would be attending the wedding but nothing more. When he had tried to pry, they had insisted that it was her decision to tell her tale.

He was annoyed but knew the truth of their words. It _would_ be Tenten's story to tell and no one else's.

Neji straightened his back to catch a better glimpse of this woman but his heart sunk upon closer inspection. The woman appeared to be out of breath, as if she had just arrived recently, nevertheless, she was indeed pretty.

The colour of hair was _off_ and her eyes were of different shape and colour all together. No, this was not Tenten. Otherwise she'd look _exactly_ like Hisana or Tenten. The woman that had walked by resembled both but not one.

He slumped back into his seat when the woman walked away to sit near the three daughters. Once she sat down, they hurriedly giggled and greeted her excitedly. He couldn't make out what they were saying but he figured that whoever she was, she was a close family friend.

Just as Neji was to respond to whatever it was that Ino was talking about, the string quartet near the front of thee makeshift alter had begun to play a mellow piece.

Those who were still standing quickly found their seats and kept their faces turned to the entrance of the forest. The servants, who stood around, moved the giant vases that blocked the aisle.

Through the cluster of thin birch trunks, they could see Alexander walking with two older women, one his mother, the other his soon to be mother-in-law, in either hand. The batch wore the finest silks and designs. Their posture and gait were elegantly timed with the music.

When they neared the priest Alexander ushered Kimiko's mother on the left side whereas Lady Esther was ushered beside Lord Elder Yulie. When both the ladies were seated, he stood on the right near the priest.

A few minutes followed and the groomsmen descended down the carpet to join the groom on the right, Isaiah was the closest to Alexander.

There was a long pause from the strings. Everyone within their seats had held their breath upon realizing what was next. The classical _Canon in D Major_ signalled that the bride was soon to come.

At first it was the bridesmaids, Reina one of them, then the young flower girl who threw the pink petals onto the carpet. Once the back row first took note of the bride, the seated crowd rose in a wave, starting from the back.

Kimiko was easily the most beautiful woman in the area tonight. She captivated the audience with her confident walk. Her father who was beside her, glowed in pride, while her small arm wrapped tightly around his.

When they neared the chancel, the music dimmed so that the exchange could be heard. "Who presents this woman to be married to this man?"

"Her mother and I." Kimiko's father responded beamingly. When Alexander stepped foreword, he shook the man's hand before offering his arm for Yuiko.

"Thank you." Alexander mouthed at his soon to be father-in-law. The man inhaled deeply, patting the groom's back before turning over to reveal his soured expression from holding back the rush of tears flooding through. Slumped over, the man sat beside his wife.

The audience, who felt that this was endearing, chuckled softly.

Alexander led his bride in front of the priest, pulled her veil aside and broke into the widest smile. He appeared to be fighting against his own tears while Kimiko only chuckled softly.

"You're beautiful." He had whispered.

"Let us all remain standing for a time of prayer as we invite God as witness to this place."

1

Marbled walls and pillars had tall ribbons and fabrics hung from above. Aside from those additions the ballroom converted banquet hall didn't need many decorations. The painted ceilings, tall windows, intricate candelabra and chandlers were already deemed worthy to host a wedding reception.

Clothed tables lined the outer areas of the ballroom whereas the center was cleared to serve as a dance floor. Thankfully, Alexander and Kimiko had seated him at the same table as Sai. That way, he didn't have to entertain his far related family who would most likely be leaching for his attention.

Even now, he was glad to be accompanied by Ino. Although she wasn't his date, it fended off the worst of them. Perhaps it would turn to gossip but he didn't read the paper much nor did he think Ino cared. From the sound of her past, she had already been the center of a faulty scandal before and learned to brace the shame.

And as interesting as her stories went, Neji found no desire to listen. Instead, his attention was devoted to finding Sai who had gone off with the shorthaired woman. Ino didn't seem to notice but Neji did.

"And that's how we met." Ino finished, playing with the rim of her wine glass. Neji looked at her and made a generic comment before his eyes landed on Sai who had entered.

The ill-paled man weaved through the dancers and when he had reached their table, his eyes reflected concern. Ino noticed immediately but held her tongue when she saw that Sai kept his eyes steady on Neji. She knew that this did not concern her.

"Neji." Sai said and handed him a leather bound journal. "Find her."

Neji's eyes widened and his lips pursed in confusion. Before he could ask Sai what he had meant, Sai guided Ino from her chair and asked her for a dance. Hesitantly she accepted, more so for his sake rather than her own.

"I thought you didn't like dancing." Neji said briskly behind his glass of champagne.

"For her I do." Sai's tone carried on confidently without any hesitation. He offered another practised smile before vanishing off into the crowd of dancers.

Sai's answer made Neji uncomfortable. He wondered what occurred during the months he was stuck in the castle. He suddenly wished he listened to Ino's story.

His eyes remained on the journal now that Sai was gone. Neji wasn't sure if the journal was meant to be read but knowing Sai, he wouldn't carelessly leave it there. Feeling frustrated, Neji downed his drink and observed the journal.

He traced his finger along the brown cover before unlocking the journal and flippantly opening it. The bold name of the journal's owner stunned him. He could feel his hands shake, his eyes widened and his mouth suddenly felt dry.

 _Shit._ He swore. _I should have known_.

Hastily he stood and frantically looked for the shorthaired woman. Desperately tempted to use his byakugan, he knew better than follow his rash desires. It appeared that she was nowhere near Lady Esther's family nor was she on the dance floor.

Logically, there was only one possible conclusion.

Before he left his table, he took hold of the journal tightly within his hand and ran for the exit. He closed the door promptly behind him and hadn't realized that he was out of breath until the noise dimmed away.

With his fingers still wrapped around the handle, he took a moment to compose himself before he turned around. His heart dropped at the sight of the shorthaired woman.

Except this time, the dark brown hair that she had owned for the past 7 months faded into its brighter shade. Her back was turned towards him but it didn't stop him from calling out her name.

In response, she turned around. Her pale green eyes that she had possessed a few hours ago disappeared behind her _real_ brown eyes. The pair widened in shock and within moments, she sprinted down the empty hall.

Shocked, Neji ran after her and quickly caught her hand to stop her.

"Tenten." His call was gentle, pleading for her to listen to him. She hadn't turned to look at him but he could see her quivering with uncertainty. "I know it's you. Why are you running from me?"

"Leave me alone."

"No."

"P-please." Her voice wavered as she pleaded.

"Only if you tell me why."

"I only came here to restore my appearance. I need to get back to hand in my official resignation."

"Resignation?" Neji asked but instantly it dawned on him. "You can't resign unless I approve and I won't."

"I knew you wouldn't so-" She paused but Neji heard it easily.

"So what?" He asked. "What did you do?" With his grip tightly wrapped around hers, he moved until they were facing each other.

Her glossed eyes avoided his and Neji cupped her chin so that she would have no other choice but match his stare. But she was stubborn and kept her gaze firmly planted on the floor.

"I'm glad to see you're alive." He said softly and offered her a delicate smile in fear that he would break her. She seemed so fragile under his touch; he was frightened to hurt her more than what he had already done. But seeing that she hadn't responded, he looked for any other sign of her dilemma.

He noticed a note in her hand and although he was one to give people their privacy, his impatience had gotten hold of him. He took it from her hand easily and easily dodged her attempts of retrieving it back. In truth, she wasn't trying very hard and easily gave up.

He flipped the note open and scanned the sheet. His eyebrows furrowed the more he read. It was a forgery of his acceptance over her resignation.

How?

Sai.

He looked at her. She appeared so small before him. Had she always been this small? Perhaps he had only truly noticed how feminine she looked in light of his growing feelings for her.

"Tenten…" His voice was serene. "Do you really want to leave that badly? I know what my uncle did but please, stay, I'm sick of him winning."

"Y-you don't understand what I went through." She finally spoke but each passing word was a struggle to get through until they drowned under her cry. Neji paused and suddenly felt the weight of her journal that he had tucked in his chest pocket.

"This." He pulled it out. "If I read this, will I understand?"

Her eyes widened. "Sai wasn't supposed to give it to you yet."

"It appears that he had a change of heart."

"I noticed the moment he convinced me not to go through with the forgery."

Silence.

"Can we read this together?" Neji asked.

Tenten couldn't respond immediately due to the well of emotions she felt but she forced herself to shake her head.

"Why?"

"B-because if you ask me to stay, I might! You and Hinata – that's why I couldn't say goodbye to you both." She exclaimed.

A deep emotion of empathy sprung from his heart but he remained composed for the both of them. "Come." He told her. She didn't have much of a choice. His hand was still over hers.

All she could do was obediently listen when he had led them to the quiet parlour. After seating her down, he turned on one of the lamps and sat beside her. He turned the cover and began to read.

The long hours of night was marked by the intervals of sound; music, laughter, herds of footsteps then silence but the loud ticking grandfather clock rested against the eastern wall.

Soft oranges and yellows of the morning infiltrated the dark blues and purples of the night. The strong spears of day pierced the clouds and later the ground below. For many, this meant that it was time to start their duties.

Neji heard this through the faint footsteps and the occasional opening and closing of the doors echo in the empty hallway. He could sense the approach of one servant and sighed heavily. He didn't want anyone to interrupt his thoughts or Tenten's peaceful slumber.

His eyes traced every curve and detail of her face. She looked so serene in contrast to the pages that he had read. The journal sat on his lap, closed and finished.

In its pages lay the contents of her heart and her mind.

And she gave that to him.

His hand lay limp on the leather, almost protectively, while his other arm was propped against the sofa's arm. Neji was tired but he felt no beckon for his sleep. Instead, he settled his head on his other hand as he thought.

Inevitably this was interrupted by one of the maids. She hummed loudly, oblivious to those who were inside and it was only when she had started to wax the center coffee table did she realize their presence. Her mouth opened, scrambling to say something until Neji laid a single finger on his lips.

The maid opted to bow instead but her efforts to remain quiet changed once Tenten shuffled out of sleep. The previously sleeping woman yawned loudly, sat up and rubbed her eyes to distract if from closing once more.

"Good morning." Neji greeted with a smile that translated compassion and sincerity.

"Morning." Tenten responded, half asleep.

"S-shall I prepare coffee for the both of you?" The maid asked.

"Yes please." Neji had responded for the both of them. The servant scurried off and left the two alone and unattended again.

No one spoke for a long time until Tenten initiated.

"So." She started. "What did you think?"

He thought to compose his words. In truth he had finished reading her journal hours ago and spent the rest thinking. Just _thinking_ about everything in relation to Tenten.

"Sorry." He apologized. "There's a lot to think." He confessed. "I've never really read something like this, especially from someone that I –" He paused. His heart quickened in a way unknown to him before and he could feel his face warm in the process. "From someone I care deeply about." He felt that those words were good enough for the moment.

"Where would I begin?" He asked. Unsure if it was meant for her or for him but it helped guide the conversation so far. "I'm hurt for you." He held his hand over his chest. "I can't express it in words but if I could cry, I would." They exchanged a glance and Neji was the first to shy away. "I mean, I don't cry but my eyes just well up and sting so I guess you could technically say I _did_ cry, kind of. In my own way."

He scrambled for words; his lack of eloquence was so unlike him.

When they had shared their feelings before, it was through letters. He could edit it as much as he could but here, he could not. It felt so vulnerable and raw.

"Thanks." Tenten said, understanding how hard it was for Neji to open up.

"I should be thanking you." He quickly said. "For sharing this with me." His eyes fell back on the journal. "Thank you for serving this country. Thank you for rescuing Hisana and keeping her identity safe. You're a spectacular member of RIC and it would be the biggest lose to not just this country but for me as well."

Tenten's eyes widened upon his words and there was a slight hope that she would understand the vastness of how he felt without him having to use the actual word.

"You consider me part of RIC?" Her question was a mere whisper and it confused Neji as to why she'd doubt herself.

"Of course I do." He pursed his lips. "If this is about how harsh I was in the beginning, I wouldn't have been so hard on your training if I didn't believe you had the heart and potential of a true RIC warrior. If I really didn't think you had it in you, I would have spent my time convincing the others to kick you out and _beg_ my uncle to let you leave."

"I-I thought you were the vote that didn't approve of my joining."

Neji scoffed. "That was Naruto. He only did it to protect you and from what I assume, was to keep you by Hinata's side for her protection."

"Wait… do you?" Tenten paused, unsure of how to bring about a certain topic that Neji most likely already knew.

"I do." He answered. "A lot happened when you left. One instance I was talking to my uncle about searching for you. Next I was confronting Hinata and Naruto about what I had witnessed between them. Then I was punished – unrelated to them – of how disobedient I was to uncle. The thing was, I wanted to go and search for you but I had this."

He touched his head to reveal a glowing and intricate green mark. Although it no longer had its affects, Lady Esther had suggested for it to remain in the case that the king felt the need to use it. That way, no one would grow suspicious.

"I remember how they had used it on you a long time ago." She reached out to caress it and instinctively Neji leaned into her touch, yearning for more of her. "It doesn't hurt does it?"

"No." He informed her with a smile. "I came here in hopes that this family would know how to get rid of it. They did. Mind you, I got a little more than just that." He chuckled and she too joined, knowing what he had meant.

"They really grow on you as family."

"They do."

A silence swept into the room but one that brought an air of peace as the two reminisced.

"Man I can't believe that you approve of their relationship!" Tenten interrupted it, referring to Naruto and Hinata.

"Yes I don't believe it either." He agreed. "I think it's because I understand how they both feel."

"You do?" She seemed genuinely surprised by his answer and because of that, he groaned quietly. If she were this oblivious, he'd _have_ to use _the word_ to describe how _he felt_.

Damn.

Maybe he could still avoid it.

"Yes. You see there's this woman who left quite an impression on me when we danced that one night. Except she wasn't particularly invited, she snuck in and was all dressed. Next thing I know, she saves the princess and she get's into the Royal Inner Circle."

Each passing sentence caused Tenten's eyes to widen upon realizing whom he was talking about. Meanwhile, he felt his cheeks warm to an incredibly hot temperature but he cleared his throat and went on.

"And then, she's off on a mission, finds out about her _crazy_ past, goes on a super secret mission to save the long lost princess of the dead Uchiha clan and remained undercover for 6 months. So I guess you could say that she's caught my eye, but I think that would be putting it lightly? I mean, I did go to prison for trying to find her and willingly defiled my uncle by removing this mark but I feel as if we haven't really gotten the time to explore these _feelings_." He stopped to catch his breath, calm his racing heart and flustered thoughts.

Curious as to her expression, he gathered the courage to look at her.

The colour of her cheeks matched his. He wished that she saw how embarrassed he was so he didn't have to feel so alone in his chaotic thoughts.

"Well." He said, breaking their long silence.

 _Where was the coffee he had requested a long while's back_?

Reina probably stalled it.

"But I digress." Neji said. "You're here for a resignation." He pulled a paper from the side table by the couch and handed it to her. "Here's my acceptance. You no longer need the forgery."

Her brown eyes fell on it and hesitantly she accepted it but not without looking confused. It didn't help that her eyes were veiled with tears and seeing her in that mess, made him feel guilty.

Perhaps he had made it all the more complicated by being honest instead of just handing her the letter and sending her off to her merry way.

"Before reading the journal, I was determined to convince you to stay but after reading it, I realized that you've had people choose what you wanted your whole life. So, I want to be that person who gives you that choice. I admit that I'm disappointed that your happy ending doesn't necessarily involve me being in it but I want you to be happy."

Her tears came steadily down her cheeks and she found herself sobbing frantically. In a hurried fit, she had tried so desperately to smudge them away but to no avail, they kept going.

"Careful, you might smudge it." He moved the letter for her hand that was already blotched with tears. "I'm not sure if I have the heart to write another."

"G-give it." She insisted and he willingly did but had to look away. His heart felt heavy and the sleep that he didn't have suddenly hit him. Numbness began to soothe in his heart but was accompanied by a peace that transcended his understanding.

A disruptive rip of paper disturbed him from his trance. His head whipped over to see Tenten tear the letter that he had written.

"W-wait! What are you doing?" He grabbed hold of her hand and looked at her with concern. Yet he could not stop the smile that rose from the depths of his heart, thus cracking away the paralysis he had felt just a while back.

"This is why I didn't want to see you." She said through her hiccups. "Because after seeing you, I knew I'd want to stay."

"S-so you'll stay?"

She nodded.

This small action alone caused his heart to swell and he leaned over to pull her into a hug. He didn't think he could feel this happy until she also wrapped her arms over him, weeping over his shoulder.

He could feel her every shoulder rise, hear her every sob and smell the faint fragrance of her hair.

"But I need time to think about RIC and about how I'd address the king." Her muffled and clogged voice said.

"Of course."

"Which means I need to go back to Kumogakure and bid my final goodbyes. It'll give me time to think about _all_ of this but don't worry. I'll come back. I promise." The two remained in each other's grasp until Neji pulled away. Although he never _trained_ in the art of romance, he gathered the courage to steal a kiss.

Earlier when he had said that he couldn't have felt happier, he was wrong. _This_ was bliss.

Time stopped. His heart stopped. His thoughts stopped. His hearing stopped.

Every part of his body stopped to remember her lips firmly pressed against his. They felt incredibly soft, warm and wet upon his own. Her tears had seasoned it with salt but he didn't fall away in detest. Instead, he pushed on and only parted when their lungs tightened.

Both were left breathless.

"So…" Tenten started. "About that rule where RIC can't engage in romantic relationships?" she asked.

"Forget about it, Naruto doesn't listen to it. I also have the feeling that Lee will start defiling that shortly… We can sneak around the matter. If Naruto and Hinata had done it for _years_ then we'll be okay. It should be easier for us since we're _two_ trained people who are good at hiding."

"If you say so… _boss_."

Just as he was about to sneak in another kiss, the doors parted as the maid from earlier scrambled in to greet them.

"Apologies, Lady Reina had insisted that I hold off so you two may have your conversation but here is your coffee and breakfast." With her, another maid had set the food on the table before they left.

Neji and Tenten looked at each other, looked at the food before they burst into fit of laugher.

It was here, with one another, where they had belonged.

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EDIT: woop so sorry guys, I accidently messed up Kimiko's name during the wedding for Yumiko. There all too similar to me

This is a longgggg chapter. It IS the final chapter after all.

 **There's an incredibly** _ **short**_ **epilogue after this.**

 _(Maybe you have questions that weren't answered, I could address them then) But the epilogue_ will _address Tenten's decision whether she'd continue on as a RIC or not._

The story doesn't end here! Obviously there's still the mystery of the death of the Uchiha clan! You can read the second book of the series: Take Me. Which will focus on Sai and Ino but you'll meet Tenten and Neji. After all, their story doesn't just end here.

They have the rest of their lives to figure out how that will look like. : )


	11. Epilogue: Home

Epilogue: Home

The seas were as salty as Tenten had remembered them. Along the port, her RIC colleagues had gathered below to see her off. With one last wave of goodbye, she watched their small figures blend with the stone behind them. Neji being among them.

Although the sun hid behind the greying clouds, her heart was warm and she was _happy_. A deep content sigh escaped her lips as her eyes wandered away from the port towards the looming Castle of Konohagakure where she'd have to speak to the King a few weeks from now.

She reflected the last words given to her from this spot. They were Isaiah's words insisting that she had the heart of soldier. She _would_ fight, she knew but for whom? That she didn't know. Perhaps she'd try to convince the King to reinstate her as Hinata's maidservant.

However, those thoughts stopped when she saw a puff of black smoke rise from the horizon up. Its thick globs of cloud infiltrated the sky. The dense darkness of its colour reflected the growing fear in Tenten's own heart but her eyes remained tied down to the growing fire.

Her eyes trailed down to see that its source was from the western cliffside.

Her heart sunk as she realized that the Haruno Mansion sat on top of that cliff. Instinctively she whipped around to find Elder Yulie right behind her, also focused on the swirling build up of dazzling red and orange.

"You don't think it's?" Tenten couldn't even finish her sentence. Terror clawed at her throat and silenced her from speaking. Thoughts of the one who had killed the Uchiha clan ran through her mind.

"I don't know." Elder Yulie confessed before his eyes wandered to the rest of the crewman, who wailed in anguish. No doubt their families served with the Haruno Clan and if they had none, surly they mourned for the kind family that had taken them in.

Tenten reached for the dagger by her side and kept her eyes close to Elder Yulie. "My mission will be to safely escort you back to the castle." She stated. "I'll be sure to inform King Kakashi and Jiraya of the matter." The Uchiha clan had died on the sea and she was not willing to allow that to happen to this crew either.

Her desire, passion and professionalism stretched beyond her want to hold her title of the Royal Inner Circle. Perhaps she had no escape to the responsibilities tied to her heart. To be a RIC had already been deeply rooted and engrained her. She had to admit, however, it felt good to know where her calling lay.

It was with her country and with the people in Konohagakure.

The boat began to waddle from the growing rise of the sea. The rocking awakened the men from their trance of horror to fight off the waves and steady the boat. However, Tenten felt that something was deeply wrong. It was not nature's intent to cause the shift in seas but someone of great power.

"He's over there!" Elder Yulie had informed her. He had pointed a few meters away from the ocean to see a single man in a black cloak with red clouds patterned along its surface. He stood confidently on the top of the waters. "He has Chakra!" His byakugan proved it to be so.

Without further thought, Tenten quickly ripped a piece of a scroll from her satchel, wrapped it around an arrow before retrieving it's bow. At first she pointed it at the man from afar but counted her paces and redirected the arrow high in the air before releasing it through the sky.

The man from afar teased her when he pulled his waves away from their boat and summoned a swirling pillar of water to stop the arrow accurately pointed his way.

But Tenten knew better.

Her hands weaved in and out of each other in intricate pattern. The arrow responded in a speed unknown to man and it easily impaled through the water. After a few more chains of hand signals, the arrow disappeared behind a veil of white clouds.

Her enemy appeared dazzled and confused but snapped out of it once a massive crowd of arrows emerged from the puff of smoke. It rained down and barrelled through the futile wall of water the man had summoned to protect him. So he opted to run until an arrow snagged him on the thigh.

In a desperate attempt, Tenten could see that the man had pulled a human sized sword that hung from his back and hid behind it from the arrows. Once the arrows finished their blow, he retreated into the ocean, leaving a small pool of swirling red blood from where he last stood.

It seemed that she had managed to scare him away. He most likely hadn't expected her to know Chakra.

"Could it have been a rogue Chakra Guardian?" Tenten asked Elder Yulie once the commotion had settled.

"No." He said, pulling back his byakugan. "I have a feeling he's connected to the stolen Chakra Orbs that the Eastern Forest protected." She looked back at the last place she had seen him. The intrude was far enough that she couldn't make out a face but she could still recall how odd coloured his skin was: pale blue.

With a heavy sigh she knew she'd have to return immediately to Konoha once she finished warning King Kakashi and his council. Talking to King Hiashi was something she had hoped to do _weeks_ away from now.

This meant she'd have to somehow get a letter to Juoano explaining the situation. She glanced at Elder Yulie. Perhaps his connection with the Eastern Forest would serve her well on this.

However, before she could continue the conversation, the mass of sailors gathered around Tenten to thank her. "Thank the gods that a RIC warrior was with us!" Despite their cheers and well intended compliments, Tenten's mind was locked on what had happened.

With what she had witnessed, she knew that the burning of the Haruno Estate was tied to that man's appearance. If that was the case, there was more than one man doing the damage.

There could be a whole group of them, a whole army who _knew_ the Art of Chakra.

She gulped at the thought.

Could it be that the orbs have _already_ fallen into the wrong hands?

If that were so, their history already marked down the implications.

A war would be approaching.

For that, she feared.

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Tenten's audience with the king continues in Take Me but like… far _after_ the first 3 or 4 chapters.

See you in Book 2! It takes place a month after Sai had dropped Hisana off safely back to Konoha.


End file.
